Hongkongers are voting in an election seen as a test of public sentiment following a deadly fire that angered some in the city.

The government has mounted a huge campaign to encourage Hongkongers to choose members of the Legislative Council (LegCo). All of the candidates have been vetted to ensure they are loyal to China.

The election takes place as many are mourning the Tai Po fire last month which killed nearly 160 people.

In recent days, authorities have distributed aid to survivors, arrested suspects and sought to improve building safety, as some Hongkongers raise questions about the incident.

A total of 161 candidates are competing for 90 seats in the LegCo, which acts as a mini parliament and can make and amend laws.

The election is the second since 2021 when China made sweeping changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system to ensure only “patriots” could run for seats.

Beijing has said the changes, which were put in place shortly after the 2019 protests, were necessary to ensure stability in Hong Kong, but critics say they weakened democracy.

The last poll, which took place shortly after those changes, saw its lowest-ever turnout of 30% amid widespread voter apathy.

This year, the government has blanketed the city with posters urging Hongkongers to head to the polls, while dangling freebies and shopping discounts.

After casting their vote, each person will receive a “thank you card” that could be redeemed for vouchers in selected shops and restaurants, or for beauty services, medical check-ups and insurance policy premiums.

Authorities are also offering free entry to public swimming pools and museums on the polling day, organising carnivals in various neighbourhoods, and holding a televised variety show and gala.

They have also created cartoon mascots and a theme tune for the election, adapted from a 2001 hit song by Cantopop star Aaron Kwok, called “Let’s Vote, Together We Create The Future”.

Chief Secretary Eric Chan told reporters last month that the measures were aimed at ensuring “a happy and festive mood” and to “let residents recognise the importance of the election”.

But in recent days the city has been focusing on the 26 November fire that engulfed high-rise residential blocks at Wang Fuk Court in the northern district of Tai Po.

The blaze was the worst seen in Hong Kong in more than 70 years. The death toll, which currently stands at 159, is likely to rise further as officials continue to recover bodies.

As Hong Kong mourns its dead, some are asking whether the fire could have been prevented and questioning building safety standards. Many Hongkongers live in ageing high-rise buildings similar to Wang Fuk Court.

Authorities have since ordered the creation of an independent committee to investigate the cause of the fire, and have arrested 13 people for suspected manslaughter.

They have also ordered the removal of scaffolding mesh used in all building renovations across the city. Investigators have found that a scaffolding mesh used for renovations in Wang Fuk Court failed to meet flame retardant standards, and that the fire spread quickly due to the mesh and other flammable materials on the outside of the buildings.

Authorities have also moved quickly to quell dissent. Police have reportedly detained a man, who was part of a group petitioning for an independent inquiry, for suspected sedition on Saturday. The petition was also wiped from the Internet.

Two other people, including a former district councillor, were also taken in by police.

Political campaigning for the LegCo election was immediately suspended following the fire, though government-organised debate forums resumed after a few days. Carnivals organised for the election campaign have also been cancelled.

Hong Kong chief executive John Lee has insisted the LegCo election continue as planned as “we must move forward before we can turn our grief into strength”.

He said that the new legislators would be able to quickly support reconstruction and reforms.

John P Burns, emeritus professor and Chinese politics expert with the University of Hong Kong, said he believed the government would interpret a high turnout as a sign that voters perceive Hong Kong’s reshaped political system as “Relatively legitimate”.

But he expected the numbers to be low, in part due to the Tai Po fire.

He pointed out that most Hongkongers have traditionally supported the pan-democrat opposition – which have been effectively barred from taking part. “I think they won’t be convinced to participate this time, just as they mostly stayed away in 2021,” he said.

Mobilising the pro-establishment voters following the fire would be difficult for the government as well, he added.

Some in that camp will be impressed by how authorities have speedily re-housed those made homeless in the fire and the aid authorities have provided, “which by any measure has been rapid and relatively generous”, noted Prof Burns.

Hong Kong’s national security office this week reposted a commentary from a pro-Beijing news outlet that urged residents to vote to show support for government’s reconstruction efforts.

This year’s LegCo election will feature a number of new faces with about a quarter of the incumbent lawmakers stepping down.

Local media have reported that Beijing pressured several lawmakers to retire as they have unofficially set an age limit.

A number of those stepping down are aged above 70, including the prominent politician Regina Ip, a former security chief nicknamed the “Iron Lady”.

By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The factional Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Nyesom Wike tendency in the Peoples Democratic Party PDP has unveiled a major internal restructuring plan aimed at reorganizing troubled state chapters and preparing the grounds for fresh congresses and a national convention.

Chairman of the factional BoT, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, disclosed this yesterday at the opening session of the board’s meeting held at the Life Camp official residence of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.

He said the group was committed to rebuilding the PDP from within and restoring public confidence in its internal processes.

Ohuabunwa said the faction was already “making meaningful progress in reorganizing affected states, including the constitution of credible caretaker committees,” explaining that the initiative would “prepare the ground for transparent congresses and subsequent convention process.

He insisted the reforms were necessary to “build trust, strengthen internal structures and ensure that our party remains a model of fairness and inclusiveness in the Nigerian democratic space.”

Declaring full support for the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led National Working Committee NWC, he said; “We are going to work with this NWC, we are going to encourage them, we are going to support them to ensure that the right things are done, and that things will be done in line with the law and the guidance of our great party.”

The senator stressed that the BoT must reclaim its statutory role in stabilizing the PDP, noting that “as the constitution of our party entails, the Board of Trustees must continue to provide stability, wisdom, and moral guidance.”

He added that its responsibility was to “safeguard the party’s soul, steer it away from divisive tendencies, and reinforce the values that have historically set the PDP apart as a disciplined and democratically established institution.”

Ohuabunwa urged members to prioritize unity as they push through the restructuring agenda, saying, “in this defining moment, therefore, we must rise above sentiments and act with unity of all.”

He also reaffirmed the faction’s determination to ensure that the PDP emerges stronger after the reforms.

“Our duty is clear, well stated, to consolidate the reforms already underway, deepen internal cohesion, and ensure that the People’s Democratic Party emerges stronger, more virile, more united and fully prepared for the leadership responsibilities ahead,” he said.

Describing the BoT as the “conscience of the party” and its “moral compass,” he warned that the board must not be found wanting in upholding legality and due process.

He said; “We must stand and face the truth, and ensure that this party stands to be counted at all times in our obedience to the laws of the Federation, the laws of our party, and the guidelines of the regulatory body, which is the Independent National Electoral Commission”.

Ohuabunwa thanked members who attended despite the short notice and travel delays, expressing optimism that the meeting would set the tone for a stable and reinvigorated PDP.

Some of those at the meeting included the factional National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; former governor of Abia state, Okezie Ikpeazu; former deputy governors including, Dr Philip Salary of Kogi state and several other chieftains.

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By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

The National leader and former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has joined other well meaning Nigerians with felicitate with an elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai as he turns describing his new age as rare and majestic

In a congratulatory message on the auspicious event, Adebayo said: “Your life has become so deeply interwoven with the political journey of Nigeria that celebrating you is, in truth, celebrating the nation itself.

“Your 100 years summon not just admiration but reverence, for your presence in our national life reminds us of the long road we have travelled, the storms we have weathered, and the promises we must still labour to fulfill.

“Today is not merely a birthday; it is a national moment of reflection. It is the commemoration of a lifetime that stretches across a century of our collective hopes, struggles, triumphs, disappointments and renewed aspirations. It is the celebration of a man whose personal story is etched so deeply into the conscience of Nigeria that to speak of you is, in many ways, to speak of Nigeria’s own soul.

“Whenever I reflect on your life, I am struck by the truth that Nigeria has produced many public figures, but very few have endured with the consistency, clarity, courage and moral steadiness that define your towering legacy.”

He eulogized Alhaji Yakasai noting that in spite of the fact in 1925 when he was born when colonial rule held sway and the idea of an independent Nigeria was a distant horizon, Yakasai still emerged early as someone with a restless and determined spirit. ‘You were a young man who believed that freedom, justice and dignity must become the inheritance of all Nigerians, not privileges for the few. From your early activism in Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) under the luminous guidance of Mallam Aminu Kano to your pivotal roles in shaping the First and Second Republics, the conviction that Nigeria must work for all her people has guided your entire life. That conviction has remained unsullied, unbent and unbroken.

“Whenever I listen to you or read your reflections on governance and nationhood, I am reminded of the rare blessing Allah has bestowed upon you; the blessing of a mind that refuses to age. At 100, your intellect retains the sharpness of a scholar, the discipline of a statesman and the moral clarity of a patriot who has never, for one day, retired from the obligation of thinking about Nigeria’s progress,” Adebayo stated.

He said every nation needs its moral anchors, noting that Yakasai represents one for Nigeria. He described the elder statesman as a living archive, a grand repository of wisdom shaped not by speculation but by lived experience, frontline service, courage in the face of repression and sacrifices made for the greater good. “You speak of colonialism, independence, coups, transitions, reconciliation and democratic rebirth not as someone who observed history from the gallery but as one who stood in the arena, feeling its dust and its fire.

“You have seen Nigeria in her brightest dawns and in her darkest nights. You have watched leaders rise with promise and fall through hubris; you have watched institutions flourish with hope and decay under neglect; you have seen policies lift citizens into dignity and others plunge them into despair.

“You have advised presidents, mentored young politicians, challenged those whose paths strayed from justice and comforted those whom the system forgot. Through all these shifting seasons, you have remained firm in principle, fearless in speech and unbending in patriotic devotion. “Whenever I consider my interactions with you, I am reminded that leadership is not a performance staged for applause but a sacred responsibility, that patriotism is not a slogan repeated for convenience but a lifelong covenant and that nation-building is not an event but a relay and you have carried your baton with honour for 100 years,” he said.

He described him as a man whose courage deserves its own chapter in Nigeria’s book of heroes, stressing, “You are not the kind of elder statesman who retreats into the comfort of age to offer safe or vague commentary. You speak truth even when truth is costly. You defend unity even when unity is under assault. You insist on justice even when justice is unfashionable. And for these convictions, you endured arrests, detentions and public criticisms; yet you remained unbroken. Your steadfastness is a rebuke to cynicism and a beacon to a generation that must rediscover its moral compass.”

He also described the people of Kano and the wider Northern region as a cultural treasure and a historic pillar, whose contributions helped shape regional identity and civic consciousness. “Yet you are far greater than a northern icon; you are a national symbol. Throughout your long and distinguished life, you have championed the idea that Nigeria’s diversity is not a burden but a divine blessing, provided we govern with fairness. Your friendships and alliances cut across ethnicity, religion, region and ideology. For a man who has witnessed nearly every storm of our national life to still believe so passionately in Nigeria’s potential is a profound testimony to your faith, resilience and patriotism. As you turn 100, my heart overflows with gratitude to Almighty Allah for preserving you,” he stated.

He prayed to God to strengthen him and bless his remaining years with peace, joy and fulfillment, adding that longevity is a gift but purposeful longevity is a miracle.

Continuing, he said: “May God preserve your wisdom for generations yet to come and may He grant that Nigeria, the nation you have served with body, mind and conscience, may one day, fully embody the ideals of justice, unity, compassion and accountable leadership that you have defended all your life. Your example calls every Nigerian to honesty in speech, fidelity in service, love for our country even when she stumbles and an unshakeable belief in the dignity of every citizen. If we imitate even a fraction of your courage and moral clarity, Nigeria will, undoubtedly, become a better nation.

“And so, today, we are not merely celebrating a birthday; we are celebrating a century of service, a century of conviction and a century of national memory. Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, you are a rare gift to Nigeria. Your life is a national treasure, a guiding light, a moral compass and a historical archive wrapped in human form.

“On this joyful day, on behalf of my family, my associates and every Nigerian who cherishes the values you embody, I honour you with deep respect, profound affection and sincere admiration. “Happy 100th birthday, Alhaji! Nigeria salutes you. History remembers you. The future will learn from you and may Allah bless you always. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”