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PEPT: INEC Concludes Defence In Peter Obi’s Petition

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In Peter Obi’s petition contesting the outcome of the February 25 presidential election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presented its defence before the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja.

 

The hearing, which took place on Tuesday, saw INEC opening and closing its defence in response to Obi’s allegations.

 

The election had resulted in Bola Tinubu being declared the winner, and he was subsequently inaugurated as the president on May 29.

 

However, Obi, who represents the Labour Party, is urging the court to invalidate Tinubu’s victory. Obi’s argument centers around the claim that INEC failed to adhere to the electoral laws during the election process.

 

During the ongoing proceedings, which took place on Tuesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) counsel, A.B. Mahmoud, SAN, concluded the defense by presenting its first witness, Lawrence Bayode.

 

Bayode, an assistant director in charge of the ICT department at INEC, had previously testified the day before in response to a petition filed by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.

 

Under the guidance of INEC’s lead counsel, A.B. Mahmoud, SAN, Bayode provided his testimony and several documents were submitted as evidence throughout the proceedings.

 

When cross-examined, the witness stated that even if blurry documents were downloaded from INEC’s Result Viewing portal, it would not affect the accuracy of the physical results documented in the polling units’ results, also known as form EC8A.

 

Under the questioning of L.O. Fagbemi, SAN, representing the All Progressives Congress, the witness clarified that the technical issue encountered during the previous presidential election did not have any impact on the collation of the election results.

 

He further stated that the images of forms EC8A captured by the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System and transmitted to IReV were not pertinent to the result collation process.

 

The witness emphasized that even if the downloaded images from IReV were unclear, the physical results could still be obtained separately.

 

Additionally, the petitioners submitted the E-transmission saver Web and compliance form as evidence through the witness, which was admitted and marked as evidence in the proceedings.

 

The witness also informed the court that a pre-production test had been conducted prior to the election.

 

In agreement with Patrick Ikweato, SAN, representing the petitioners, the witness acknowledged that the report of the E-Transmission application outlined necessary actions to address the significant vulnerability identified in the report.

 

The court proceedings were adjourned to the following day, Wednesday, as the five-member panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani concluded for the day.

 

The upcoming session will see Tinubu and his vice, Kassim Shetima, commence their defense.

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Politics

Osun Accord, Adeleke Strategise for Legislative Elections

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The Osun State chapter of the Accord Party has cautioned its members against anti-party activities in the forthcoming National and State Assembly elections.

A government house statement released in Osogbo on Wednesday added that the party warned that all members must support Accord candidates at the polls.

Rising from a closed door stakeholders’ meeting, the party noted several reports of Accord members allegedly backing candidates from PDP, APM, APP and even APC, directing that those members or leaders caught in such acts will face severe disciplinary actions.

The meeting presided over by Governor Ademola Adeleke passed a resolution that all disagreements over selection of legislative candidates should be resolved and the party must unite behind the candidates already fielded by the party.

Under no circumstances should any Accord member be caught sponsoring or working for legislative candidates of other political parties. Such behaviour will not be tolerated, the stakeholders meeting resolved.

READ ALSO: Dangote Credits Tinubu’s Economic Reforms with Driving Nigeria’s Economic Recovery

The meeting further directed a small committee to work on constituencies where such abnormalities are noted and take appropriate measures to stop the menace and even sanction the culprits if they persist in such anti-party conduct.

The Accord leadership in the state was also directed to activate monitoring actions to identify those involved in such conduct and call them to order as urgently as possible.

Meanwhile, Gov Adeleke used the Forum to register his gratitude to party members for their steadfast support during the turbulent electioneering process.

“I am deeply grateful to our party members for their depth of loyalty and courageous disposition throughout the democratic struggle. Osun people trusted us and they fought for us under the divine direction of God Almighty.

“We praise God Almighty, the courageous people of Osun state, the electoral commission and you, our loyal party members and leaders. I will remain steadfast in my commitment to the people, the party and God almighty.

“I task us to support our party candidates in the forthcoming legislative elections. We must avoid anti-party activities. Severe sanction awaits any party member who works against the candidates of the party.

“I have also tasked our candidates to reach out to all segments of the party. We must run an inclusive campaign. All shades of opinion must be mobilised for resounding success in future elections”, the governor admonished leaders at the stakeholders’ forum.

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INEC Raises Alarm as Fake 2027 Election Recruitment Website Surfaces

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INEC Officials Held Captive Over Missing Declaration Form

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised the alarm over a fake online recruitment notice claiming that the commission has commenced the recruitment and training of ad-hoc staff ahead of the 2027 General Election.

INEC issued the warning on Monday, August 31, 2026, following the circulation of a message online directing prospective applicants to a website purportedly created for the recruitment exercise.

The electoral commission dismissed the information as false, stressing that the recruitment notice and website did not originate from it.

SEE MORE: 2027: ‘We Must Build the Table’ — Opposition Leaders Meet in Abuja to Challenge Tinubu

In a statement, INEC said, “The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been drawn to a message circulating online claiming that the Commission is currently recruiting and training ad-hoc staff for the 2027 General Election.”

The commission further clarified that the website being circulated is not its official recruitment portal.

“This information is not from INEC. The website/link being circulated is NOT an official INEC recruitment portal,” INEC stated.

The electoral body warned Nigerians against clicking on the link or providing personal information through the platform, particularly as fraudulent recruitment websites can be used to obtain sensitive details or solicit payments.

“Members of the public are strongly advised NOT to click on the link, submit personal information, upload documents or make any payment through the platform,” the commission warned.

INEC advised members of the public to rely only on its verified communication channels and official websites for information concerning recruitment and election-related activities.

“INEC’s official recruitment and election-related announcements are published through the Commission’s verified communication channels and official websites,” it said.

The commission directed Nigerians seeking authentic information to visit its official website, inecnigeria.org.

INEC also noted that it had previously warned the public about fraudulent websites and fake recruitment advertisements purporting to originate from the commission.

The electoral body urged Nigerians to disregard the latest notice and avoid further circulating it.

“Please disregard and do not circulate this false recruitment notice,” INEC said.

The commission concluded its warning with an appeal to Nigerians to verify the authenticity of online information before clicking on links or submitting personal details.

“Stay informed. Stay safe. Always verify before you click,” INEC stated.

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2027: ‘We Must Build the Table’ — Opposition Leaders Meet in Abuja to Challenge Tinubu

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Several opposition political leaders and prominent figures have converged on Abuja for a summit aimed at forging a united front ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The meeting, being held at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre, attracted notable opposition figures including the Peoples Redemption Party presidential candidate, Donald Duke; Social Democratic Party presidential candidate, Adewale Adebayo; and former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu.

SEE MORE: ‘APC Is Irredeemable’ — Ex-Minister Timipre Sylva Dumps Party, Blasts Tinubu Govt

The summit was convened by political pressure group G-100 as part of efforts to bring opposition parties together to mount a stronger challenge against President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027.

Also attending the gathering are the Allied Peoples Movement vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura; PRP National Chairman, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed; SDP vice-presidential candidate, Usman Bugaje; and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Fred Agbedi.

The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, Bolaji Abdullahi, and G-100 Convener, Salihu Lukman, are also among those participating in the summit.

Welcoming the dignitaries, Lukman urged opposition parties to put aside their differences and work towards a common objective of advancing the interests of Nigerians.

He stressed that the proposed cooperation was not about forcing political parties to dissolve or abandon their identities, but about creating a platform where they could work together towards a shared goal.

“We are not asking any political party to dissolve. Let us agree that we must build the table before negotiating the seats,” Lukman said.

The summit comes amid increasing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with opposition parties and political actors exploring possible alliances and coalition arrangements.

 

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