No fewer than 885 delegates drawn from across the 16 local government areas of Ekiti states are expected to participate in Monday’s All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary elections.

The exercise, which will take place at the popular Ekiti Parapo Pavilion in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital will determine the party’s flag bearer for the June 20, 2026 governorship election.

The delegates were elected on Saturday during the party’s delegates congress across the 177 wards in the 16 local government areas of the state.

Five delegates emerged from each ward during the peaceful exercise supervised by officials of APC National secretariat led by Mr. Jaret Tenebe, the Chairman of the Delegates Congress Committee and Edo APC chairman in the presence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies.

Though four aspirants obtained the APC expression of interest and nomination forms, Governor Biodun Oyebanji is the sole candidate in the race following the disqualification and withdrawal of other aspirants.

Those who obtained nomination forms include Oyebanji, Engr. Kayode Ojo, Mrs Oluremi Omolayo, and Mrs Olajumoke Abimbola.

After the screening, only Oyebanji and Omolayo were cleared to contest, while Ojo and Olajumoke were disqualified for failing to meet the mandatory threshold of the required five valid nominators per local government as enshrined in the provisions of the APC constitution.Omolayo later stepped down from the race, pledging support for Governor Oyebanji.

(From The Nation)

President Bola Tinubu has officially sworn in Professor Joash Amupitan as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The ceremony followed the Senate’s confirmation of Amupitan’s appointment last week after a rigorous screening session on October 16.

At the swearing-in, President Tinubu tasked Amupitan with safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s elections and strengthening INEC’s institutional capacity.

“As the chairman of INEC, your nomination and confirmation reflect the confidence reposed in you by both the executive and legislative arms of government. This marks the start of a challenging yet rewarding journey, and I trust you will approach your duties with integrity, dedication, and patriotism,” Tinubu said.

Highlighting Nigeria’s democratic progress over 25 years, the President emphasized the need for continuous innovation and reform to maintain free, fair, and credible elections. He urged Amupitan to ensure transparency and public trust throughout the entire electoral process—from voter registration and campaigning to voting and counting.

Amupitan, a professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), arrived at the State House on Thursday dressed in traditional white agbada and gold cap ahead of the formal ceremony. He was accompanied by presidential aides.

During his Senate screening, the 58-year-old nominee pledged to restore credibility to Nigeria’s electoral process by prioritizing reforms, including strengthening the Electoral Act to resolve inconsistencies in election timelines and enhance transparency.

“We must conduct elections where even the loser congratulates the winner fairly,” Amupitan told senators, emphasizing the need to rebuild voter confidence.

He also clarified his neutrality by denying any involvement in President Tinubu’s legal team during the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Court, stating, “I never appeared before the Presidential Election Tribunal or the Supreme Court for any party.”

Amupitan succeeds Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the sixth substantive INEC chairman since the commission’s establishment. He is expected to immediately begin the transition process at INEC headquarters in Abuja following his swearing-in.

Profile

Born on April 25, 1967, the 58-year-old Amupitan hails from Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, Plateau State. He is also an alumnus of the university.

He specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance and Privatisation Law. He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in September 2014.

After completing primary and secondary education, he attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, from 1982 to 1984, and the University of Jos from 1984 to 1987. He was called to the bar in 1988.

Amupitan earned an LLM at UNIJOS in 1993 and a PhD in 2007, amid an academic career that began in 1989, following his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation in Bauchi from 1988 to 1989.

He currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, a position he holds in conjunction with being the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.

Among the academic positions he has held at UNIJOS are: Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012-2014); Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008-2014); and Head of Public Law (2006-2008).

Outside of academics, Amupitan serves as a board member of Integrated Dairies Limited in Vom, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council, and a member of the Council of Legal Education (2008-2014), among other roles. He was a board member of Riss Oil Limited, Abuja(1996-2004).

Amupitan is the author of many books on law, such as Corporate Governance: Models and Principles(2008); Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008); Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria(2013), Principles of Company Law(2013)  and an Introduction to the Law of Trust in Nigeria (2014).

He is married and has four children.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed reports linking the cancellation of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary activities to an alleged attempted military coup, calling such claims misleading and false.

An online publication had reported that 16 military officers, from Captain to Brigadier General, were detained by the Defence Intelligence Agency over suspected covert meetings to plan a coup against the government.

In a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) described the report as malicious and intended to create unnecessary tension and distrust among Nigerians.

The DHQ clarified that the cancellation of the Independence Day parade was due to President Bola Tinubu’s attendance at a strategic bilateral meeting abroad, and to allow the military to focus on ongoing operations against terrorism, insurgency, and banditry.

The statement further assured the public that the investigation involving the officers is a routine internal process aimed at maintaining discipline and professionalism within the armed forces. An investigative panel has been set up, and its findings will be released once the inquiry concludes.

The DHQ called on Nigerians to support security agencies and disregard misinformation circulated by enemies of the state. It reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ loyalty to the Constitution and the Federal Government under President Tinubu.

“The Federal Government, the legislature, and the judiciary are working closely for the safety, development, and well-being of the nation. Democracy is forever,” the statement emphasized.