By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

As Nigeria moves closer to renewed constitutional conversations around the creation of state police, comments made about four years ago by former Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, are drawing fresh relevance.

In an interview conducted during the build-up to the 2023 presidential election, Adebayo strongly defended the creation of state and local government policing, arguing that Nigeria’s highly centralised security structure had become ineffective and disconnected from local realities.

According to him, any level of government empowered to make laws should also possess the authority to enforce them.

He argued that it was contradictory for states to legislate on issues including criminal offences, sanitation, public order and local administration while depending almost entirely on a centrally controlled police system headquartered in Abuja.

Adebayo maintained that most offences affecting everyday life — including murder, theft, arson and other serious crimes — are prosecuted under state laws, raising questions about why states have little operational control over policing.

Using Lagos as an example, he questioned situations where incidents occurring entirely within a state still require intervention and decisions from federal authorities.

He said such arrangements weaken accountability and delay justice.

The former presidential candidate also called for wider police reforms beyond decentralisation, arguing that policing in Nigeria should move away from what he described as a culture of force toward one rooted in public service and community trust.

According to him, police should belong to the people rather than function as an extension of government power.

He further proposed stronger institutional links between policing and the justice system, including reforms that would reinforce the role of legal institutions in ensuring accountability.

Beyond security, Adebayo linked Nigeria’s security challenges to broader failures in economic governance.

He rejected arguments that Nigeria’s fiscal problems stem primarily from insufficient taxation, insisting instead that the country loses substantial revenue through leakages, resource theft and weak administration.

He argued that government should prioritise recovering legally due revenues rather than imposing additional tax burdens on citizens and businesses.

Adebayo pointed to crude oil theft and illegal extraction of solid minerals as examples of areas where stronger governance could significantly improve national income.

He also criticised arbitrary tax practices, warning that unrealistic assessments discourage productivity and encourage corruption.

According to him, economic recovery requires efficient revenue collection, transparent administration and stronger protection of public resources.

While the interview was held years ago, many of the issues raised — particularly around decentralised policing, insecurity and economic management — remain central to Nigeria’s ongoing governance debate.

With discussions on state police once again gaining policy attention, Adebayo’s earlier arguments are returning to public conversation as part of wider calls for security and structural reforms.

From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu and Yagana Ali, Yola

Political activities intensified across the country on Monday as the Labour Party challenged its exclusion from the forthcoming Enugu North Senatorial District by-election in court, while electoral authorities in Adamawa State confirmed preparations for local government elections involving 11 political parties.

The Labour Party filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging wrongful exclusion from the June 20, 2026 Enugu North Senatorial District by-election.

The seat became vacant following the death of Senator Okey Ezea in November 2025.

According to the party, it duly notified INEC of its intention to conduct a primary election, which was held on May 25 and produced Ambassador Simon Ejike Eze as its candidate. However, the party claimed it was denied access to the commission’s nomination portal for the submission of its candidate’s details despite complying with stipulated electoral requirements.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, the party attributed the development to alleged administrative lapses by INEC officials in Enugu State, including the failure to transmit reports of the primary election.

The party maintained that it fulfilled all legal obligations under the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines and described its exclusion from the contest as unjust. It also called for an investigation into the conduct of the commission’s officials in the state while expressing confidence that the judiciary would ensure justice.

Meanwhile, preparations have reached an advanced stage for Saturday’s local government elections in Adamawa State, with 11 political parties set to participate in the exercise.

The Commissioner in charge of Logistics and Field Operations at the Adamawa State Independent Electoral Commission (ADSIEC), Emmanuel Abba, said all sensitive and non-sensitive election materials had been secured and would be distributed to the 21 local government areas before the poll.

Abba also disclosed that security agencies had assured the commission of adequate protection for electoral personnel, voters and election materials, adding that the commission remained committed to conducting a peaceful and credible election.

He noted that while the commission would heed security advice in areas of concern, it was fully prepared for the exercise.

The developments underscore heightened electoral activities across the country as political parties and election management bodies navigate preparations and disputes ahead of crucial polls.

By David Torough, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission has commenced an investigation into allegations of unauthorised access to its Continuous Voter Registration database following the publication of information relating to a candidate in a recent political party primary election in the Federal Capital Territory.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission was treating the matter with utmost seriousness.

“The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission has been drawn to allegations currently circulating on social media and in some sections of the media regarding the alleged unauthorised access to the Commission’s Continuous Voter Registration database and the subsequent publication of information on a candidate in the recent primaries of a political party in the Federal Capital Territory.

“The Commission takes this allegation seriously and has immediately commenced a thorough investigation to establish the facts surrounding the incident,” the statement read.

INEC explained that as part of the ongoing nationwide CVR exercise, authorised registration officers were granted controlled access to specific components of the registration system to enable them to carry out voter registration, transfer requests and updates to voter records.

According to the commission, such access is strictly limited to official duties and is withdrawn once the exercise concludes.

Haruna disclosed that preliminary findings from the commission’s audit trail had helped identify the user account through which the information was accessed.

“The audit trail from the preliminary investigation has enabled the Commission to identify the user account through which the information was accessed. Accordingly, relevant personnel have been questioned, and all units connected with the incident are cooperating fully with the investigation,” it said.

The commission added that it was examining all technical, administrative and operational aspects of the matter to determine responsibility and establish whether any internal access-control procedures were violated.

INEC, however, said its preliminary findings showed there was no external breach of its systems.

“Preliminary findings from the Commission’s audit trail so far indicate that there was no external breach of the CVR database, no hacking incident, and no unauthorised external access to the Commission’s ICT infrastructure.

“Rather, the information in question was accessed through valid user credentials assigned to personnel participating in the ongoing CVR exercise but released without authority,” the statement added.

The commission stressed that the incident involved the retrieval of a specific voter record and did not suggest any compromise of the wider voter registration system or the personal information of more than 90 million registered voters.

“The incident under investigation relates to the retrieval of a specific voter record and does not indicate any compromise of the Commission’s broader voter registration infrastructure or the personal data of over 90 million registered voters,” the statement said.

INEC reaffirmed its commitment to protecting voter information and maintaining the integrity of its electoral systems.

“The Commission wishes to state categorically that it takes the security, confidentiality and integrity of voter data with the utmost seriousness and remains committed to transparency, institutional integrity, and the protection of voters’ personal information,” it said.

The commission also revealed that the Department of State Services had independently commenced an investigation into the matter.

“Furthermore, the Department of State Services, on its own accord, has commenced an independent investigation into the matter. The Commission will continue to cooperate fully with all relevant security agencies and will not hesitate to refer any person found culpable for appropriate legal action,” the statement added.

INEC urged members of the public and the media to avoid speculation while investigations continue, assuring that its findings and any actions taken would be made public in due course.

Actor, Emeka Ike, had said he is prepared to take action against Lere Olayinka, media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over the alleged exposure of his personal data from the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Ike, a native of Imo State, contested the House of Representatives seat for the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the Federal Capital Territory under the Nigerian Democratic Congress and lost.

Olayinka recently came under criticism after sharing what appeared to be Ike’s voter information via an INEC administrative webpage.

On his X handle on Saturday, Olayinka wrote that Ike was formerly a registered voter in Imo State before transferring his registration to the FCT.

Olayinka attached two images to the post, which many users said contained details obtained from INEC’s administrative login portal.

Some of the personal information in the screenshots included Ike’s application number, registration centre, Voter Identification Number, profile picture, name, and date of application.

Reacting during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, Ike described Olayinka’s action as shocking and the height of political rascality.