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Filling INEC APC Loyalists: SERAP, BudgIT, 34 Citizens Sue Tinubu
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), BudgIT and 34 concerned Nigerians have dragged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to court over “the appointment of at least four members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and allies of high-ranking politicians as new Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”
Deputy Director, SERAP, Kolawole Oluwadare disclosed this in a statement made available to Biztellers on Sunday in Lagos.
Recall that the Senate has confirmed the appointment of seven out of 10 newly appointed RECs for INEC.
Oluwadare pointed out that “The alleged APC members appointed as RECs include those from Akwa Ibom, Edo, Lagos and Rivers States.”
Biztellers gathered that in the suit number FHC/L/CS/2353/2023 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos, the Plaintiffs prayed for, “an order setting aside the nomination, confirmation and appointment of the alleged APC members as RECs for INEC, for being unconstitutional, unlawful, null, void and of no effect.”
The statement highlighted that the Plaintiffs also asked the FHC for, “an order of mandamus to compel President Tinubu and Senate President Mr Godswill Akpabio to remove the alleged APC members as RECs for INEC, in line with Section 157 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended].”
In addition, they prayed the court to enter “an order of mandamus to direct and compel President Tinubu to appoint qualified Nigerians who are persons of unquestionable integrity and a non-member of a political party or loyalist to the positions of RECs for INEC, in line with Paragraph 14(3)(b)(c), Third Schedule and Section 156 of the Nigerian Constitution.”
The Plaintiffs argued in the suit that, “The status, powers, independence of INEC, and the impartiality with which it acts and is seen to be allowed to act, are fundamental to the integrity of Nigeria’s elections and effectiveness of citizens’ democratic rights.”
They are also arguing that, “INEC ought to be the primary guarantor of the integrity and purity of the electoral process. President Tinubu and the Senate have the constitutional responsibilities to ensure both the appearance and the actual independence and impartiality in the nomination and confirmation of INEC top officials.”
According to the Plaintiffs, “The credibility and legitimacy of elections depend mostly on the independence and impartiality of those appointed to manage the process. Without an independent and impartial INEC, the democratic rights of Nigerians would remain illusory.”
The Plaintiffs further argued that, “Anyone to be appointed as RECs for INEC must clearly be non-partisan, independent, impartial and neutral. INEC officials ought to be able to discharge their legal duties and implement the Electoral Act without fear or favour.
“Nigeria’s electoral body must enjoy the independence from direction or control, whether from the government or any other quarter. It must be accountable to the electorate, and act accordingly.”
The suit filed on behalf of the Plaintiffs by their lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Andrew Nwankwo, read in part, “As public officers, President Tinubu and Mr Godswill Akpabio are required to act in conformity with their oath of office and the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended].
“Treating INEC as a line department accountable to bureaucratic higher-ups and high-ranking politicians rather than as an independent and impartial body is antithetical to constitutional and international standards and the notion of the rule of law.
“The use of the word ‘non-partisan’ means that those to be appointed to conduct credible elections must not be people who openly identify as belonging to a political party, whose occupation is politics or who are perceived by ordinary Nigerians as having political biases.
“Section 153(1) (f) of the Nigerian Constitution provides that ‘There shall be established for the Federation the following bodies, namely – (f) Independent National Electoral Commission.’
“Section 156(1) of the Nigerian Constitution provides among others that, ‘in the case of the Independent National Electoral Commission, he[she] [the person to be appointed as a REC] shall not be a member of a political party.’
“Paragraph 14 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution provides among others that ‘2. A member [of INEC] shall –a. be non-partisan and a person of unquestionable integrity… 3. a Resident Electoral Commissioner shall –b. be a person of unquestionable integrity and shall not be a member of any political party.’
“Under Section 6(4) of the Electoral Act 2022, ‘The appointment of a Resident Electoral Commissioner shall be in compliance with section 14 (3) of the Nigerian Constitution.’
“The nomination, confirmation and appointment of the alleged APC members as RECs for INEC is a breach of Section 6(4) of the Electoral Act 2022 and Section 156(1)(a) and Paragraph 14 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution.
“The United Nations Human Rights Committee has stated that states including Nigeria should establish independent electoral authorities to supervise the electoral process and to ensure that elections are conducted fairly, impartially and in accordance with established laws and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
“The African Union’s African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance to which Nigeria is a state party also calls upon state parties to establish and strengthen independent and impartial national electoral bodies responsible for the management of elections.
“Those recently appointed as RECs and confirmed by the Senate include an individual who was formerly a member of the PDP before allegedly ‘decamping’ to the APC and who served as the Chief of Staff to Mr Godswill Akpabio when he was Governor of Akwa Ibom State.
“The alleged APC members or loyalists also include individuals who reportedly campaigned on social media for the election of President Tinubu and who was appointed as chairman of the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board in 2001 when Mr Tinubu governed the state.”
Other parties named in the suit as Defendants include, the INEC; Mr Godswill Akpabio, for himself and on behalf of the Senate; and Messrs Etekamba Umoren; Isah Shaka Ehimeakne; Anugbum Onuoha; and Bunmi Omoseyindemi.
The court is yet to fix any hearing date for the suit.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), has invited global investors to participate in the bid for the 2026 Licensing Round, which has 40 oil and gas blocks on offer.
The Commission Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, informed investors at the 2026 ADIPEC Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi on Monday, November 2, 2026 that Nigeria offers a stable climate amid global energy tensions.
She urged investors to look to Nigeria and take advantage of the opportunities and revealed that the licensing round portal will officially open on November 20, 2026.
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The NUPRC boss said this during a roundtable discussion titled, ‘Energy Sovereignty in an Interconnected World: Aligning National Priorities, Markets and Global Security’.
She said, “We are expecting investors to turn to Nigeria. We are going into another licensing round, and we will launch our bid portal on November 20. We expect to see interested investors because the environment is a lot more competitive.
“We have set a very attractive fiscal framework for investors. The overall environment is much more secure. We have been able to manage costs with a lot of incentives for investors, and we expect to see investors take up the offer when we open the portal.”
The NUPRC boss noted that since the passing of the Petroleum Industry Act in 2021, as well as the executive orders signed by President Bola Tinubu, Nigeria has seen an improved investment climate.
Eyesan said that between 2021 and 2026, the NUPRC held at least four successful licensing rounds, which brought more investment into the country.
This marks a departure from the pre-PIA era, when licensing rounds were less frequent.
The CCE said Nigeria has huge energy potential, as it sits on 215 TCF of gas, but daily production is barely 7 bcf.
This presents an opportunity to investors, especially as key gas infrastructure, such as pipelines, is being built, she said. The stars are already aligned. For gas infrastructure, we just completed very major infrastructure projects that will unlock gas supply in the country and the sub-region.”
We have two major projects on the drawing board to move gas through the Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline and the Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline.
Again, this gas will go to Europe and will also meet regional demand. So, Nigeria is positioned to meet not just domestic supply,” the CCE stated.
Eyesan maintained that as many countries discover petroleum resources, the race for investment has become more competitive.
She said Nigeria was already ahead of the game, as it had made certain modifications to attract the right capital.
“We understand that investors will prize execution risk, cost, delays and also uncertainty, and so what we have done in Nigeria is to ensure that we guard against these risks and then attract the investment required to enable us to unlock the huge resources we sit on,” the NUPRC boss said.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described his emergence as Nigeria’s President as a special favour from Almighty Allah, saying his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces is a privilege that must be matched with dedicated service to the country.
Tinubu made the remarks while reflecting on his spiritual journey to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj (Umrah), during which he was granted access to pray inside the Holy Ka’abah in Makkah.
The President expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for granting him and members of his Nigerian delegation the rare privilege.
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Speaking after the spiritual exercise, Tinubu said his emergence as Nigeria’s leader was an extraordinary blessing, considering the millions of people in the country.
“I have faith in that, and I believe extremely well that He has done me and my country a great favour. Out of many millions of people, to be the President and Commander-in-Chief is a favour that only Almighty God can do to a human being,” he said.
The President also disclosed that he used the opportunity to pray for wisdom and resilience to continue serving Nigerians, expressing confidence that his prayers had been answered.
“Well, I asked for wisdom and resilience to continue to serve the people. I know that prayer has been granted,” Tinubu said.
Recalling his previous Umrah pilgrimage before the 2023 presidential election, he said he had asked Allah to bless the journey and promised to return to express gratitude.
Tinubu also reflected on the message in Surah Aal-Imran, Verse 26 of the Holy Qur’an, which establishes Allah as the ultimate owner of sovereignty and authority, with the power to give and take leadership.
He said the message reinforces the need for those entrusted with positions of authority to exercise power responsibly, with humility and in the interest of the people.
“There is no other God but Almighty Allah. He is the giver and the taker. He owns power and authority,” the President said.
He reaffirmed his commitment to building a prosperous Nigeria, investing in the future of young Nigerians and pursuing development in line with the aspirations of the people.
Tinubu described the opportunity to enter the Holy Ka’abah as a historic and deeply cherished spiritual experience, adding that it reflected the longstanding friendship and cooperation between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
The Ogun State Police Command has received three major honours at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State Council’s Golden Jubilee Press Week, with Commissioner of Police Bode Ojajuni named a Golden Jubilee Ambassador.
The Command received the Shield of Public Safety Award, while its Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, was presented with the Vanguard of Public Safety Award.
The recognition formed part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the NUJ in Ogun State, which coincides with the state’s 50th anniversary.
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According to a statement released on Monday, November 2, 2026, by the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Babaseyi, the awards recognised the Command’s commitment to public safety, proactive policing and effective engagement with the media.
The Golden Jubilee Press Week, held from October 26 to November 1, 2026, was themed, “Truth, Trust and the Press: Protecting Democratic Choice and Rebuilding Public Confidence in Journalism.”
Ojajuni also participated in a panel session during the celebration, where he urged journalists to uphold truth, professional ethics and patriotism, stressing the importance of responsible journalism to national development and public confidence in public institutions.
While receiving the Shield of Public Safety Award, the police commissioner attributed the Command’s achievements, particularly the impact of Operation KOSAYE, to the strategic direction of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, under the Handshake Patrol initiative.
He explained that the operation was carried out on the directive of the IGP through collaboration between the Ogun and Lagos State Police Commands, with support from the governors of both states.
According to him, the initiative strengthened security cooperation between the two states and improved coordinated efforts to prevent and combat criminal activities.
Ojajuni was also named among 50 distinguished personalities recognised as Golden Jubilee Ambassadors.
The honour reflects his leadership and previous contributions to policing in Ogun State, where he served as Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department and Squadron Commander of the 16 Police Mobile Force, Abeokuta, before becoming commissioner.
Similarly, Babaseyi received the Vanguard of Public Safety Award in recognition of his contributions to police-public communication, media engagement and public safety advocacy.
The commissioner dedicated the honours to the Inspector-General of Police and officers of the Nigeria Police Force, acknowledging their commitment and sacrifices in protecting lives and property.
The Command also commended the NUJ Ogun State Council, led by its chairman, Comrade Wale Olanrewaju, for the recognition and its role in promoting constructive engagement between journalists and security institutions.
It reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening its relationship with the media, noting that effective policing depends not only on operational deployment but also on public trust, timely information and stakeholder engagement.
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