Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has carried out a major cabinet reshuffle, resulting in the dismissal of several top officials, including the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief of Staff, Commissioner for Information, and four other commissioners.

The Governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, confirmed the reshuffle, stating that it was part of a political realignment aimed at improving the performance of his administration and delivering more benefits to the people of Kano State.

Among those affected by the changes are the Chief of Staff, Alh. Shehu Wada Sagagi, whose position has been abolished, and Dr. Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, the former SSG, who was removed for health reasons.

Governor Yusuf’s reshuffle also saw the reassignment of several officials to new positions, including the Deputy Governor, Comrade Aminu Abdulssalam, who was moved from the Ministry of Local Government to the Ministry of Higher Education.

Other notable reassigned officials include Hon. Mohammad Tajo Usman (from Science and Technology to Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs), and Dr. Yusuf Ibrahim Kofar Mata (from Higher Education to Science, Technology, and Innovation).

In addition, a number of commissioners retained their positions, including the Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Haruna Isa Dederi; the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Danjuma Mahmoud; and the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran, among others.

Meanwhile, five commissioners were dropped from the cabinet, including Ibrahim Jibril Fagge (Finance), Ladidi Ibrahim Garko (Culture and Tourism), Baba Halilu Dantiye (Information), Shehu Aliyu Yammedi (Special Duties), and Abbas Sani Abbas (Rural and Community Development).

Governor Yusuf also directed those removed from office, including the Chief of Staff and five commissioners, to report to his office for possible reassignment.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to seek amendments to the Electoral Act 2022 from the National Assembly in preparation for the 2027 elections.

The proposed changes are aimed at providing clarity on result management, particularly regarding the manual transfer and electronic transmission of election results.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, revealed this during a meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja on Thursday.

He highlighted that result management was one of the eight key areas identified from the 2023 general election that require legislative action.

One of the major proposals is the relaxation of the accreditation process to allow the use of computer-generated voter slips for voting.

These slips could either be printed from the commission’s website or issued to voters, in place of the current reliance on Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).

This change, according to Yakubu, would reduce costs, address issues related to PVC collection, and curb practices such as the buying of PVCs to disenfranchise voters.

Yakubu also emphasized the need for legal clarity on the use of both manual and electronic methods for result transmission.

He further indicated that with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the use of PVCs as the exclusive form of voter identification should be reassessed.

While those who already possess PVCs can still use them, the commission is considering allowing computer-generated slips for voter accreditation in the future.

In addition to these recommendations, INEC is pushing for reforms to accommodate early and special voting for essential election workers like INEC staff, security personnel, and journalists, as well as for diaspora voting.

The commission also aims to establish an electoral offences tribunal and a separate body to manage political party registration and regulation.

Prof. Yakubu noted that the commission is focusing on cleaning up the voters’ register, working closely with agencies like the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the National Population Commission (NPC).

Other reform areas include improving voter access to polling units, promoting affirmative action for under-represented groups, enhancing voter education, and countering misinformation.

The INEC chairman stated that the recent completion of five off-cycle governorship elections and several bye-elections since the 2023 general elections provides an opportune moment for implementing the commission’s review recommendations.

A total of 142 recommendations were made following the 2023 elections, with 86 requiring administrative action by INEC and 48 needing involvement from various stakeholders such as security agencies, political parties, and civil society organizations.

Prof. Yakubu stressed the importance of engaging with the RECs to ensure the successful implementation of these reforms.

Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, the daughter of former Delta State Governor Chief James Ibori and representative of Ethiope Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, has called her defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) the best decision of her political career.

During a constituency empowerment event, where she distributed vehicles, motorcycles, sewing machines, and water pumps, Ibori-Suenu accused the PDP of trying to stifle her political aspirations.

“The PDP wanted to kill my political dreams, but I am glad I have finally left,” she stated, adding, “We will bury PDP in Ologbo River, the bridge between Delta and Edo States. I am now at home with the APC, which is supreme.”

She also expressed her gratitude to her supporters and APC leaders for their encouragement and support.

Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the former Deputy Senate President, commended Ibori-Suenu’s decision, referring to her as a “political bulldozer.”

He expressed confidence that her defection, coupled with the support of other APC members, would boost the party’s chances of winning Delta State in the 2027 elections.

“With the backing of Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, APC is now in a stronger position to take control of Delta. Her energy and commitment will significantly enhance our efforts,” Omo-Agege said.

A significant step toward the establishment of state police in Nigeria was taken on Thursday, as the majority of the 36 state governors expressed strong support for the policy during their National Economic Council (NEC) meeting.

The move aims to address the growing insecurity across the country.

However, the meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja was marred by the absence of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, led by Nyesom Wike, who failed to submit its recommendations on the matter.

Despite this setback, there were clear indications that final decisions regarding the creation of state police would be made at the next NEC meeting in January 2025.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani confirmed that all 36 states had submitted their positions on the proposal, with most governors in favor of establishing state police.

He assured that the final decision on the matter would be taken at the next NEC gathering.

At the previous meeting in November, states such as Kwara, Kebbi, and Adamawa had yet to submit their recommendations on state police.

Governor Sani stated, “One of the major discussions at the NEC meeting today was the progress on the creation of state police. As you are aware, states have been submitting recommendations for its establishment. Today, we can confirm that 36 states have now made their submissions, with the overwhelming majority supporting the idea.”

He continued, “However, the council decided to defer further discussion until the next meeting. We need to review the report from the secretariat before engaging in further deliberations, which we expect to take place in January. Additionally, there was a resolution at the previous NEC meeting for further engagement with stakeholders after the panel’s deliberations.”

Sani further explained that the push for state police was fueled by the unique security challenges faced by individual states.

“Each state has its own peculiar issues related to insecurity, and with large ungoverned spaces and insufficient personnel in existing security agencies, the establishment of state police is seen as a necessary step to address these challenges,” he said.

He concluded, “The creation of state police is the way forward to effectively combat insecurity in our country, given the deficit in security personnel and the challenges that our states face in ensuring safety for their citizens.

The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Bayelsa State for the 2023 election, Engr. Udengs Eradiri, and his running mate, Commodore Benjamin Nathus (retd), have officially resigned from the party.

Sources indicate that several local government chairmen of the party in Bayelsa also joined Eradiri and Nathus in their departure from the LP.

Eradiri submitted his resignation letter to the state chairman of the Labour Party in Yenagoa on December 8, titled, “Letter of Withdrawal as Labour Party Member.”

In the letter, Eradiri explained that his decision was aimed at pursuing his political aspirations with a party that was prepared to offer the kind of leadership Bayelsa needs.

He expressed appreciation to the party members and noted that he was currently in consultations to determine which political platform would best allow him to serve the people.

Eradiri, who finished third in the recent governorship race, mentioned that his decision was fully supported by his loyalists.

He reflected on the collaborative efforts that saw them campaign across Bayelsa in search of leadership but expressed frustration with the challenges within the party.

He emphasized that he and his supporters were in discussions to identify the next party they would join, one that could help move Bayelsa forward.

Similarly, in his resignation letter, Nathus stated that his decision to leave was based on his desire to find a platform dedicated to leadership that would bring prosperity to Bayelsa.

He expressed gratitude for the support and collaboration of the party members, highlighting the valuable experiences he gained throughout the journey.

Nathus also conveyed his honor in having worked with committed colleagues and engaging with communities in the pursuit of transformative governance.

President Bola Tinubu is set to present the 2025 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday, December 17.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio made the announcement during Thursday’s plenary session.

The budget presentation will take place in the House of Representatives chamber.

This follows the submission of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) for 2025-2027 to both the Senate and the House last Tuesday.

Akpabio also instructed the Senate Committees on Finance, National Planning, and Economic Affairs to review the MTEF/FSP documents and submit their reports within one week.

The MTEF/FSP outlines key economic assumptions, including a $75 oil price benchmark, daily oil production of 2.06 million barrels, an exchange rate of N1,400 to $1, and a projected GDP growth rate of 6.4%.

The Labour Party (LP) has faced another setback as a member of its caucus in the House of Representatives, Mr. Ajang Iliya, representing the Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency of Plateau State, has defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

This defection follows closely on the heels of the departure of five LP lawmakers to the APC just days ago.

The Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, made the announcement during Thursday’s plenary session, after reading a letter from Iliya.

In his letter, the lawmaker cited the ongoing crisis within the Labour Party and expressed his desire to align with the APC’s national development agenda, led by President Bola Tinubu.

The political landscape is shifting as politicians, especially from opposition parties, begin defecting in preparation for the 2027 elections, raising questions about the future of these opposition parties and the stability of Nigeria’s democracy.

Recent defections have intensified, with 51 lawmakers at the federal and state levels crossing from the Labour Party, New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to join either the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In the past week alone, four members of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives joined the APC, including Chinedu Okere (Owerri Municipal/Owerri North/Owerri West Constituency) and Mathew Donatus (Kaura Federal Constituency of Kaduna), while others, such as Senator Francis Ezenwa Onyewuchi from Imo East, switched parties citing internal crises within the Labour Party.

This wave of defections also extends to the NNPP, where key figures such as the former national chairman, Professor Ahmed Rufa’i Alkali, and several gubernatorial candidates joined the APC.

The defections from NNPP were fueled by disputes between the party’s leadership, particularly between presidential candidate Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and party founder Dr. Boniface Aniebonam.

Despite Section 68 of Nigeria’s Constitution, which mandates that lawmakers who defect without a valid reason vacate their seats, opposition parties have raised concerns about the defections, accusing the lawmakers of betraying their mandates.

The Labour Party, in particular, has rejected the defections, asserting that the party has resolved its internal issues.

In contrast, some experts believe the defections are part of a broader political strategy to realign ahead of 2027.

Wale Okunniyi of the National Consultative Front (NCFront) emphasized the need for opposition parties to consolidate forces to challenge the ruling APC.

He stressed that current defections are part of the larger political maneuvering for the next general election.

APGA’s founding chairman, Chekwas Okorie, predicted more defections and realignment in the coming year, stressing that such movements will eventually lead to new political coalitions.

As the 2027 elections approach, the fate of the opposition remains uncertain, but realignments are expected to continue as party loyalties shift.