Mark: ADC Won’t Accept Rigging in 2027

•NSCIA backs state police, mobilises Muslims for next year’s elections

***•Over 1000 Islamic clerics ask Tinubu to drop re-election bid ***

•Y***iaga Africa poll ***reveals Nigerians willing to vote, but shackled by fear, distrust, vote buying

Chuks Okocha and Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

National Chairman of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has declared that the party would not allow itself to be rigged out at next year’s elections.

According to a statement from the office of the national publicity secretary, Mark made the comment during a courtesy visit by Governing Council of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development to the party’s headquarters in Abuja, yesterday.

The council, led by former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, said the courtesy call was part of the centre’s ongoing stakeholder engagements with political parties and political leaders ahead of the 2027 general election.

Ariwoola expressed the centre’s commitment to promoting free, fair and credible elections. He urged the ADC leadership to encourage its candidates and members to comply with INEC’s rules and eschew all forms of political violence.

In his response, Mark declared ADC’s commitment to playing by the rules.

“We are committed to playing politics in a manner that promotes public confidence in democracy,” he said.

He also emphasised that the party would comply with INEC’s rules guiding the elections, as well as ADC’s code of conduct, articulated in its Orange Book, adding that the party would, however, not accept rigging.

Mark stated, “We hold ourselves to the highest standards of good conduct as a political party. We will play by the rules. But we will not accept rigging or allow ourselves to be rigged out.”

Ariwoola’s entourage included members of Savannah Centre’s Governing Council, otherwise known as the “Council of the Wise”.

They included Professors Abdullahi Shehu and Azeez Musa Dankano; Executive Director, Ambassador Sani Bala; Mr Tunji Lardner; and Ambassador Godswill Ighali, among others.

NSCIA Backs State Policing, Mobilises Muslims for 2027 Elections

Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has backed constitutional amendment to decentralise the operation of the Nigeria Police.

NSCIA adopted the resolution in a communique issued yesterday at the end of its General Assembly in Abuja on October 1.

The communique was signed by its President-General, Abubakar, and Secretary-General, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede.

NSCIA called for an urgent and a comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s security architecture. It reiterated that it would support state policing, provided the reform that required approval of at least 24 houses of assembly before it could advance to the next stage of the constitutional process was anchored on professionalism, constitutional safeguards, impartiality, accountability, sustainable funding, respect for fundamental rights and effective coordination between federal and state security institutions.

NSCIA also urged all government agencies to respect the right of Muslim female students, corps members, female personnel in the security agencies, and staff in other work places to use hijab as their fundamental human right.

The council tasked Muslims to obtain their National Identity Numbers (NINs) and Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and participate fully in the process of selecting Nigerian leaders at all levels in the 2027 elections

It further faulted the authorities of University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, and University of Lagos on their hostile dispositions to the Supreme Court judgement, which favoured the use of hijab in their International Schools.

NSCIA berated the tertiary institutions for their attempts to re-designate such schools as private (despite being established by public institutions) ostensibly to manipulate court judgements against the right of willing female students to use hijab in public schools.

It urged the aforementioned tertiary authorities to retrace their steps by being law-abiding and inclusive.

Although it acknowledged the efforts of the government to stimulate the economy, NSCIA charged the federal government to expedite action on drastically reducing the cost of transportation and food to alleviate the hardship being faced by ordinary Nigerians.

The council also adopted the 2026 report of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and endorsed its recommendations to reposition the Hajj industry in Nigeria for excellence.

The meeting was attended by prominent Emirs, Obas, Chief Imams, Chiefs, Principal Officers of the council, Islamic scholars, leaders of major national Islamic organisations, and delegates from all the states of the federation and the FCT.

Over 1000 Islamic Clerics Ask Tinubu to Drop Re-election Bid

Over 1000 Islamic clerics urged President Bola Tinubu not to seek re-election in the 2027 presidential election, citing economic crisis, insecurity, and other challenges facing the country.

The call was contained in a communique issued at the end of a national conference on “An Assessment of the State of the Nation under President Tinubu and the 2027 General Election,” in Kano State on Sunday.

The Islamic clerics under the umbrella of Ko Da Naka…For the Struggle to Promote Good Governance and Community Development, in collaboration with AFAQ Educational Foundation, expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in which the Tinubu administration was running the country.

The clerics unanimously agreed that Tinubu’s economic policies, including the removal of the fuel subsidy, changes to the naira exchange-rate system, increases in electricity tariffs, and tax reforms, had increased the burden of hardship on ordinary citizens.

The conference expressed its dissatisfaction with the manner in which the Tinubu administration was being run, particularly the continued implementation of economic policies which participants unanimously agreed had increased the burden of hardship on ordinary citizens.

The communique stated, “It is unfortunate that the government has continued to insist on pursuing these policies, which are increasing hardship among the people, rather than reviewing and correcting them.

“The government prioritised the growth of its revenue at a time when the rising cost of living and unemployment are threatening the lives and well-being of citizens.

“Consequently, participants at the conference unanimously agreed that it would be inappropriate to re-elect this government in the forthcoming 2027 general elections if it does not change its harmful economic policies.”

The participants also expressed concern over the continued killings and kidnappings by bandits, and other acts of terrorism across the country.

They called on the federal government to take urgent action to address insecurity, particularly in the North-west and other parts of the country.

The communique added, “Alternatively, the president should refrain from contesting the 2027 election. If he refuses to do so, it is incumbent upon citizens to reject his candidacy and allow those whom they believe can provide better leadership.”

The Imams resolved that it would be inappropriate to re-elect the Tinubu government if it refused to change course.

“Nigerians should not be asked to endure another term of the same policies while families struggle to meet basic needs and the promised relief remains out of reach,” they stated.

Yiaga Africa Poll: Nigerians Willing to Vote in 2027, But Shackled by Fear, Distrust, Vote Buying

Majority of voters had yet to settle on their preferred candidates ahead of the 2027 presidential election, Yiaga Africa’s national voting intentions survey discovered.

Findings of the survey released yesterday showed that 84 per cent of Nigerians were likely to vote in the January elections, but only 41 per cent were certain to vote and had already chosen a candidate.

Yiaga said 2,470 Nigerians across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were interviewed for the poll.

Most adult citizens — 96 per cent — had been registered to vote, Yiaga said, but about 44 per cent of the eligible voters were yet to settle on a candidate.

By zone, the North-central recorded the most intentions to vote, with 57 per cent, followed by the South-west (54 per cent), then North-east (52 per cent), and South-south at 33 per cent.

Presidential election campaigns kicked off in August, but had so far lacked significant momentum.

President Bola Tinubu of All Progressives Congress (APC), who is seeking re-election, is being challenged by Atiku Abubakar of African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Peter Obi, flagbearer of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

The trio were the top candidates in the 2023 presidential election. According to the poll, 54 per cent of voters disapproved of Tinubu’s performance.

“A desire for change in leadership (49 per cent) is by far the leading motivation, ahead of civic duty (20 per cent), support for a specific candidate (16 per cent), and party loyalty (11 per cent).”

The survey also discovered that the economy and jobs, security, corruption and governance were among the key issues for voters.

Social media, at 58 per cent, accounted for the most influential source on voting decisions, ahead of television (46 per cent), radio (45 per cent) ,and online news (29 per cent).

Only 34 per cent of voters were reported to be confident that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conduct credible elections.

Safiya Bichi, head, knowledge management and learning at Yiaga, said Nigerians have not given up on elections.

“What stands between that willingness and the ballot box is fear, distrust and money,” Bichi said in a statement.