The investiture ceremony brought together National Commissioners, senior officials of the Commission, representatives of government agencies, development partners, returning Youth Ambassadors and the newly selected ambassadors.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Chairman of the Outreach and Partnership Committee (OPC), Prof. Kunle Ajayi, described the initiative as an important platform for strengthening the relationship between INEC and young Nigerians.

Ajayi said the appointment of the ambassadors was not merely the conferment of a title but a responsibility to help strengthen electoral participation and ensure that young Nigerians have access to accurate information about the electoral process.

Representing the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, National Commissioner Prof. Rhoda Gumus said the Commission recognised the influence and capacity of the new Youth Ambassadors to engage other young Nigerians.

Gumus said Nigeria’s large youth population has significant implications for democracy and elections, adding that its numerical strength would only become meaningful when matched with informed, organised and responsible participation.

She urged the ambassadors to go beyond encouraging young Nigerians to vote and listen to the reasons some youths disengage from the electoral process, including lack of information, distrust, political frustration, previous experiences and misunderstanding of electoral procedures.

The INEC National Commissioner also charged the ambassadors to help combat misinformation and disinformation, particularly across social media platforms.

She urged them to adopt the principle, “Verify before you amplify,” when sharing information about elections.

Gumus further warned against the manipulation of young Nigerians for electoral violence, noting that youths recruited into violent activities could become victims through death, injuries, arrest and the destruction of their future.

“Do not allow anyone to use your youth against your future,” she said, stressing that political competition should not require young Nigerians to fight, destroy or kill one another.

She also encouraged the ambassadors to promote constructive engagement between young voters, political parties and candidates by encouraging youths to ask questions about issues affecting their lives, including employment, education, security, economic opportunities and skills development.

Turaki made the call in an Independence Day message, saying Nigerians must draw inspiration from the country’s founding leaders who, according to him, resisted threats and inducements in their pursuit of self-rule.

He said Nigeria’s forebears envisioned a country built on prosperity, equality, equity and justice, adding that they did not allow the opportunity to achieve independence to pass them by.

“As Nigeria turns 66, it is our turn to rise,” Turaki said.

The PDP chairman urged Nigerians to reject inducement and intimidation and exercise their responsibility at the ballot box.

He called on citizens to work towards electing a government that would build a Nigeria that works for all, with emphasis on security, economic opportunity, unity and justice.

Turaki said the responsibility for determining the country’s direction now rests with Nigerians, urging citizens not to allow the opportunity to shape the nation’s future to pass.

“This is our own time, and we must not let it pass,” he said.

The firm made the statement in a post on its verified X account on Thursday, September 24, 2026, while commenting on the political situation in Nigeria ahead of the election.

According to the firm, a free and fair election in Nigeria is important to protecting US interests in Nigeria and the wider West African region.

The firm also made allegations concerning the Nigerian government and President Tinubu, including claims about corruption and the use of state institutions ahead of the 2027 election. Those allegations are claims by the private lobbying firm and are not presented here as established findings.

The latest statement follows an earlier intervention by the firm in September, when it alleged that Tinubu and his associates were seeking to use institutions including the Independent National Electoral Commission, the judiciary and law-enforcement agencies against opposition parties and candidates. The firm did not provide evidence for those allegations in the statement reported at the time.

Keyamo, in a statement reacting to the incident, said the prevention of the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate from accessing the venue should be condemned regardless of the political circumstances surrounding it.

Obi was reportedly stopped by angry protesters from proceeding to Yelwata, a community that witnessed deadly killings more than a year ago.

Keyamo said the reason behind the protest remained a matter of debate, noting that while the Benue State Government attributed it to internal disagreements within the NDC, others had alleged that the action was politically sponsored.

He, however, maintained that neither explanation could justify preventing a political candidate from moving freely or carrying out legitimate political activities.

The minister also criticised what he described as partisan reporting of political confrontations in the media.

According to Keyamo, similar incidents involving candidates of the All Progressives Congress are sometimes presented as evidence that the politicians have been rejected by Nigerians, while confrontations involving opposition politicians are often reported as attacks allegedly carried out by sponsored thugs or hoodlums.

He urged the media to adopt a consistent and impartial approach when reporting political incidents, irrespective of the party or candidate involved.

Keyamo also condemned statements by some opposition figures allegedly suggesting that APC candidates could be attacked or stoned in certain parts of the country.

He stressed that political disagreements should be resolved through democratic means rather than violence.

The minister urged Nigerians who disagree with any political candidate to express their position through their votes during elections instead of resorting to confrontation.

“Whoever is angry at any candidate of any political party should display the anger with the ballot paper on voting day by a simple thumbprint, not by violent acts during campaigns,” Keyamo said.

Ibe made the allegation in a statement on Friday while commenting on the continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, which he said had reached 200 days as of September 4, 2026.

According to him, El-Rufai was not demanding immunity from investigation but was entitled to justice, due process and equal treatment under the law.

He questioned what he described as the different treatment being given to opposition politicians compared with members of the ruling APC.

Ibe also contrasted El-Rufai’s situation with that of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, who, according to him, remains politically active despite facing an ongoing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

“Nobody should be above the law. But neither should the law become a political weapon,” Ibe said.

The Atiku aide alleged that institutions including the police, EFCC, ICPC and elements within the judiciary were being used to mount pressure on opposition figures as the 2027 elections draw closer.

He maintained that President Bola Tinubu and the APC should campaign based on their record and allow Nigerians to freely decide who should lead the country.

“If Tinubu believes he deserves another mandate, let him earn it at the ballot box,” Ibe said, stressing that opposition politicians should be defeated by voters rather than through intimidation, detention or prolonged litigation.

He warned that the use of state power to weaken political opponents could pose a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

According to Ibe, a government confident in its popularity should not fear a strong opposition, adding that democracy goes beyond conducting elections and must guarantee a genuinely free and competitive political environment.

He insisted that the outcome of the 2027 general elections must be determined by Nigerians and not by what he described as the machinery of government.

Michael made the remarks while speaking with National Focus in a phone conversation, where he explained how AI could be used to monitor the electoral process and identify discrepancies between results recorded at polling units and figures eventually declared.

He said the focus should not be on building an AI system that determines who wins an election, but on using technology to help Nigerians detect when election results do not correspond with what happened at polling units.

According to him, election rigging is not limited to ballot-box manipulation, as it can also occur through the manipulation of results, inconsistencies during collation, altered documents and coordinated misinformation.

Michael said there could be significant discrepancies between what happens at polling units and what is eventually declared during the collation process.

“AI can connect those dots for us,” he said, advocating an independent AI-powered election monitoring system capable of tracking results from polling units through wards, local government areas and states.

He explained that such a system could compare results sheets with transmitted results, reconcile figures at different stages of collation and flag mathematical inconsistencies.

Michael added that AI could identify abnormal voting patterns, duplicate or suspicious result sheets and potentially manipulated images.

He said the technology could also flag situations where the number of accredited voters or the population of an electoral area does not correspond with the figures eventually declared.

“When something doesn’t add up, it doesn’t say AI will not come out and say this election was rigged. It will clearly say, ‘Investigate this polling unit,’” he explained.

The Analaize CEO proposed that voters and observers at polling units should photograph result sheets immediately after results are recorded, creating independent, time-stamped evidence that could be compared with official results.

“If they match, it automatically becomes verified. If they don’t, discrepancy detected,” Michael said.

He noted that such a system, if deployed across Nigeria’s more than 180,000 polling units, could transform election monitoring by providing real-time evidence of discrepancies and suspicious activities.

Michael stressed that AI would not replace the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), election observers, journalists or political parties, but would give them the speed, scale and evidence required to monitor the electoral process more effectively.

He warned that waiting until months after an election to discover that thousands of results do not reconcile could be too late, particularly after elected officials had been sworn into office.

“The objective shouldn’t be to build an AI that decides who won an election. The objective should be to build an AI that makes it extraordinarily difficult to severely change what happened,” he said.

Michael argued that Nigeria could draw lessons from the use of AI in detecting fraud in banking, cybersecurity and financial systems and apply similar technology to protect the integrity of elections.

“The future of election integrity may not be another voting machine. It may be an AI watching the entire electoral system, one polling unit at a time,” he said.

He added: “Nigeria doesn’t need AI to choose our leaders. Nigeria needs AI to help make sure that people choose them, not them choosing themselves.”

Adeleke made the commitment in a state broadcast to mark the 35th anniversary of the creation of Osun State, where he acknowledged the pains, sacrifices and disruptions experienced by residents in recent months.

The governor expressed sympathy with families who lost loved ones during the period, assuring that the sacrifices of those killed or injured would not be in vain.

He commended Osun residents for their commitment to democracy and the rule of law, particularly their decision to remain peaceful despite what he described as severe provocations and violence.

According to Adeleke, residents demonstrated their faith in democracy by trooping out to vote during the governorship election despite the tense atmosphere.

“Amidst reign of terror, you rejected the guns and embraced the ballot. As true sons and daughters of the source, you not only voted but you defended your votes even at personal risk to your lives,” he said.

The governor described the recent election as one of the toughest tests of Osun’s character in the 35 years since the state’s creation.

He said the conduct of the people during the election had demonstrated their courage, integrity and commitment to democratic values, adding that Osun had emerged as a shining example of democratic practice in Nigeria.

Adeleke also paid tribute to the founding fathers of the state, saying their legacy had been honoured by the people’s resilience and continued defence of democracy, good governance and the rule of law.

The governor, who said the people had again entrusted him with the leadership mandate under difficult circumstances, promised that his administration would be inclusive and responsive to the concerns of residents.

“My people, as you have again conferred the leadership mandate on me under recent difficult circumstances, I promise to heal the wounds, unite the people and uphold equity and fairness,” Adeleke said.

He added that his administration would remain attentive to criticism as part of efforts to strengthen development across the state.

Fubara made the call on Sunday while declaring open the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The governor said the quality of justice delivered by the courts was closely linked to law and order as well as the pace of national development.

He urged judges to ensure that truth prevails regardless of the status or social affiliation of the parties appearing before them.

“We cannot continue to insulate our laws from today’s reality; neither should justice remain shackled by unjust precedents, technicalities, inadequate access, undue delays, slavish adherence to rigid processes, political manipulation, or brazen corruption,” Fubara said.

He warned that such impediments to justice had continued to damage the reputation of the judiciary and the legal profession.

According to him, the judiciary remains central to democracy, good governance and economic development because the courts serve as a refuge for citizens seeking justice, accountability, human dignity and the enforcement of their constitutional rights.

Fubara said the ultimate purpose of the law was to protect and advance the security and wellbeing of citizens by ensuring equality before the law, protecting fundamental human rights and creating an environment conducive to economic and social development.

He maintained that peace and meaningful progress could only thrive where the rule of law was respected.

“Consequently, we expect that our judges should not be mere apologists or conformists if they are to be the ultimate guardians of our democracy, the rule of law and the advancement of peace and good governance in our country,” he said.

The governor said public confidence in the judiciary would improve when judges demonstrated sound knowledge of the law, strong legal reasoning, courage, commitment and integrity in holding both government and citizens accountable to the Constitution.

Speaking on the theme of the conference, “Beyond Limits,” Fubara charged Nigerian lawyers to rise above real or perceived constraints and defend the Constitution and the rights of citizens to democracy and good governance.

“In Rivers State, we understand what it means to push beyond limits. We have walked through the furnace of power, may have been bruised, yet remain unbowed in our determination to safeguard our unity, peace and progress,” he said.

Former Liberian President George Weah, who delivered the keynote address, also called for an independent judiciary and an impartial legal profession to protect democracy and citizens’ rights.

Weah said every serious nation needed an independent judiciary supported by a fearless legal profession, warning that threats to democracy could also emerge when judicial institutions were weakened and unable to perform their constitutional responsibilities.

“Democracy doesn’t end on the election night, but it is tested every single day,” Weah said, stressing that democracy could not survive on strong individuals but on strong institutions.

The former Liberian president also warned against governments that claim to be democratic while engaging in corruption or working with judges to undermine the rule of law and manipulate society.

He urged lawyers and judges to remain impartial and committed to protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens.

The party, in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, said the outcome of the election was a clear message from voters in Osun State about what Nigerians should expect in 2027.

The PDP said Adeleke’s victory came despite what it described as “strong will, vigilance and resistance” by the people of Osun against alleged attempts by the APC to win the state at all costs.

The opposition party also accused the ruling party of using intimidation and other tactics during the election, alleging that opposition politicians were targeted in the build-up to the poll.

It specifically referenced the invitation of Senator Francis Fadahunsi by the police, describing it as part of what it called a broader attempt to intimidate opposition figures.

The PDP further raised concerns over the conduct of some national institutions during the election, alleging that the security agencies failed to maintain neutrality.

It also criticised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the freezing of the state’s account and questioned the delay in the uploading of results from 470 polling units by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

While commending the people of Osun for what it described as their resilience, the PDP urged Nigerians not to become complacent as the 2027 elections approach.

The party called on voters to protect their votes and remain vigilant, saying the experience in Osun should serve as a lesson ahead of the next general election.

“Overall, the result from Osun is an advance payment by Nigerians against the APC; the balance will come in 2027,” the party said.

The PDP maintained that election results must reflect the wishes of voters freely expressed through the ballot, rather than what it described as the preferences of a privileged minority.

It added that Nigerians must remain vigilant to protect the democratic process and ensure that their votes count in future elections.