From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu

A non-governmental organization (NGO) known as Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) has trained Journalists, CSO’s religious body, students, Community influencers, political parties’ members and other stakeholders in the Southeast on advancing voters participation and encourage peaceful election, in the forthcoming 2027 general elections in Nigeria.

The capacity building training with the theme “Voters Mobilisation and Peace Building Training” was held at Best Western hotel Independence layout Enugu.

The team lead of KDI, Bukola Idowu, in his lecture emphasized that voters’ participation in Nigeria is seriously declining and there is need for mobilisation and also encourage eligible voters in Nigeria to come out and participate in the forthcoming 2027 general election.

According to him “In Nigeria today, the most important thing is election, because it is in election that we choose the leader that will manage the resources and govern the people, and Nigerians have not understood the importance of government. No one can exist without the government. If you stay away from governance and do nothing about it, you will be ruled by your inferiors”, he said.

However, he pointed out that currently in Nigeria, governance or appointment is by your efforts or work in the political party, and not by competent. He noted that governance is an important endeavor stressing that, what puts people in governance is election.

“The ability to recruit a quality leadership is through election, therefore the person you elect in government in the next four years will determine how you live, your educational direction, economic direction, taxes, infrastructure and your health”.

“The next person that will rule Nigeria will be determined by election, therefore the aim of this training is to strengthen stakeholders of the electoral process, equip them with tools and platforms for accessing credible electoral information,   build practical strategies for promoting informed voter participation, community based voter mobilisation and peace building

He noted further that the training will equip participants with practical skills to identify conflict drivers, recognize early warning indicators, analyze electoral risks and apply community based approaches for preventing electoral violence before, during and after election.

Bukola in his lecture noted that he acknowledged that there are barriers, conflict drivers and indicators that influences people’s participation in Nigeria election, which includes electoral violence, disenfranchisement, distrust, rigging, intimidation and other election malpractice, but encouraged Nigerian citizens not to allow any factor to discourage them in carrying out their civic responsibility.

He urged the participants to use their different mediums and educate Nigerian citizens especially those in their communities on the need for them to go and register for PVC, ensure they collect their PVC’s, cast their vote on the election day and monitor the election, from the polling unit to collation center and finally to the judiciary level.

He noted that it will help Nigerians to elect a credible candidate of their choice for a democratic government in the forthcoming 2027 general election.

He further urged the participants to enlighten eligible voters to be careful while thumb printing on the ballot papers to avoid invalid or rejected votes that can affect the election of a credible candidate, stressing that “every vote cast is very important”.

The participants at the end of the training had a practical group exercise session where they developed practical state level action plans, identified priority audiences, key civic messages, mobilisation channels, peace building intervention, conflict hotspot, implementation timelines and responsibilities.

A participant and also a Journalist in the training, Emma Nweze in an interview said that the training is educational.  It mirrored well what is happening in the political landscape in Nigeria dogged by violence and voter apathy.  The bottom line of the training is that if every Nigeria should participate actively, we may have good governance.

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) said uncertainty over petrol prices has forced many marketers to halt fresh purchases, leading to the temporary closure of some filling stations.

The Zonal Chairman of IPMAN, Western Zone, Chief Oyewole Akanni, disclosed this on Sunday, in an interview in Ibadan.

Akanni said that the situation was triggered by the suspension of loading of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at the Dangote Refinery about four days ago.

This, he said, forced marketers to source products from private depots at significantly higher prices.

According to him, the cheapest ex-depot price at private depots in Lagos currently ranges between ₦1,200 and ₦1,220 per litre, excluding transportation costs.

He said that marketers who bought products on Friday paid between ₦1,210 and ₦1,220 per litre.

“The non-availability of fuel at some filling stations and the closure of others are due to fluctuations in the price of lifting fuel from depots.

“Since Dangote Refinery stopped selling PMS about four days ago, private depot owners have increased their prices.

“Many filling stations that have exhausted their stock are waiting to see whether prices will come down when Dangote Refinery resumes sales or increase further.

“Only a few marketers are buying products for now because of the uncertainty,” he said.

Akanni, however, maintained that there was no fuel scarcity, urging motorists and other consumers not to engage in panic buying.

“There is no fuel scarcity, members of the public should not panic.

“Although there is a possibility of an increase in pump price, if the current situation persists,” he said.

The zonal chairman explained that Dangote Refinery neither gave prior notice nor explained the reason for the suspension of sales of PMS to marketers.

Akanni said that four truckloads of petrol meant for his stations had remained at the refinery since the suspension of loading.

“I was supposed to have received four truckloads of PMS since four days ago, but that has not happened because the trucks are at the Dangote refinery, which has not been selling.

“The company is not even loading its own trucks. They are all parked there,” he said.

The IPMAN chairman said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) was also affected because it also sourced products from the Dangote refinery.

According to him, private depots are now selling PMS for as much as ₦1,250 per litre, while marketers can obtain products from Nipco and Aiteo at about ₦1,200 per litre.

“The major issue now is the fluctuation in depot prices, which has created uncertainty in the market,” Akanni said.

He expressed hope that normal supply would resume once the situation at the Dangote Refinery was resolved.

Many filling stations in Ibadan metropolis are closed, leaving customers puzzled as to what was going on. 

By Dan Amasingha, Minna

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has dismissed claims that Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, operates as a “miracle examination centre,” describing the allegation as false and capable of damaging the institution’s reputation.

The Council’s reaction follows comments reportedly made by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon.

Kingsley Fanwo, after the abduction of five persons, including examination officials and candidates, during the ongoing 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

In a statement issued on Friday by the Acting Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, NECO expressed sympathy for the victims and commended the Kogi State Government and security agencies for securing the release of the remaining four abductees.

However, it strongly rejected the description of the school as a miracle centre.

According to the Council, Government Secondary School, Olowa, is a long-established public institution owned by the Kogi State Government. It noted that the school has existed for more than four decades and has consistently presented candidates for the NECO Senior School Certificate Examination since 2000.

NECO explained that the school’s principal, Elder Daniel Iyamaa, who was among those abducted, is a Grade Level 17 officer in the Kogi State Civil Service, while the kidnapped examination supervisor, Mr. Solomon Audu, is a Grade Level 12 officer employed by the state government and posted to Community Secondary School, Effin.

The Council further stated that records confirm all 28 candidates registered by the school for the 2026 NECO SSCE are genuine students of the institution and not external candidates, contrary to the impression created by the commissioner’s remarks.

To support its position, NECO released the school’s candidate enrolment records for the past five years: 21 candidates in 2021, 20 in 2022, 28 in 2023, 40 in 2024, and 20 in 2025.

It also disclosed that the Kogi State Government paid the examination fees for 51 candidates of the same school during the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

The Council revealed that before the commencement of the ongoing examination, its Kogi State Coordinator had written to security agencies seeking adequate protection for examination centres across the state. The move, it explained, was prompted by the earlier terrorist attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke, in Ijumu Local Government Area during the 2026 WAEC examination.

Reaffirming its commitment to credible examinations, NECO stated that under the leadership of its Registrar and Chief Executive, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, it has implemented comprehensive reforms aimed at eliminating examination malpractice and strengthening the integrity of its assessment process.

The Council maintained that the reforms have significantly reduced reported cases of examination malpractice over the past five years and urged public office holders and other stakeholders to verify facts before making public statements capable of undermining the credibility of educational institutions or creating unnecessary public anxiety.