The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Dr Mutiu Agboke, has reiterated the commitment of the commission to welcome all non-governmental organisations involved in the electoral process.

Dr Agboke also added that the Kimpact Development Initiative, KDI, had remained a veritable platform for articulating election matters for all to understand.

Dr Agboke made this known while playing host to the leadership of KDI during a courtesy visit to the INEC state Osogbo on Tuesday.

He noted that the organisation’s contributions had been helpful, saying, “Their analysis of elections has also been objective.”

He stated that he was particularly interested in KDI’s support for empowering ad-hoc staff, providing clear messages for security agencies and improving the capacity of journalists.

“INEC has opened platforms for journalists but beyond that, election management is a different ball game but we still need intervention,” he said.

The REC also expressed readiness for deeper collaboration with the organisation and maintained that KDI possessed the competence to support the process.

“We want to partner with you in how we can monitor on the Election Day, from announcement of election at the polling unit, collation of results and announcement of the final results.

“I know KDI has the capacity and what it takes to help inject,” he said.

He remarked that there had been no orchestrated attacks on INEC since his assumption of duty in the state, adding that it reflected the conduct of the commission and it is good for its image.

He stressed that he would never act as an agent of confusion in electoral matters.

“We want KDI to help us build intelligence that will help us monitor the election successfully,” he said.

In his response, the Executive Director of KDI, Bukola Idowu, said the organisation worked on elections, voter participation and advocacy and aimed at improving voter turnout and inclusivity.

He explained that KDI also monitored campaign releases and engaged in electoral justice through tribunal tracking.

“We believe as an organisation court processes too is part of the electoral process,” he said.

Idowu said the organisation, founded in 2014 in Osun State, had observed INEC’s preparations for the 2026 governorship election.

“We dare say we have not seen this type of early preparation, which means you and the commission want a successful election,” he said.

He commended the commission’s efforts and expressed KDI’s willingness to partner further and added that INEC had excelled in communication.

He noted, “The Osun election is going to be competitive and this requires a lot of logistics, security, having the staff that will work who knows what they need to do.

“INEC has been able to take control of information dissemination. I encourage the commission to sustain these efforts.”

He revealed that KDI was already developing its programme towards the Osun 2026 poll.

A former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has kicked over the sealing of his Abuja home by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Syva’s media aide,Julius Bokoru, spoke on behalf of his principal.

The media aide, in a statement to newsmen, followed the action of the anti-graft agency.

The EFCC had earlier declared Sylva wanted.

In his reaction, Bokoru said the action was undertaken “without a single letter, without a subpoena, without a warrant, without notification, and without even the most basic adherence to lawful process.

“It is behaviour unbecoming of any institution that claims to act in the national interest.

“What unfolded today at the Maitama residence of Chief Sylva, was nothing short of an affront to decency and a troubling assault on the very principles that underpin a civilised society.

“Officers of the EFCC attempted yet another aggressive intrusion into his home and proceeded to spray-paint his walls in stark red, emblazoning the words ‘EFCC — Keep Off’ as though marking the property of a fugitive rather than the home of a respected statesman.

“What deepens the wound is that this is not merely a property, it is the home in which Sylva’s children, relatives, and staff have been effectively encircled for weeks.

“It is the last space available to them, especially now that it appears they are not permitted to leave the country freely.

“To violate such a place, without warning, without justification, is to inflict terror upon innocent people who have no connection whatsoever to political gamesmanship.

“Where, one must ask, are his children expected to go?

“How long must they endure this atmosphere of fear and uncertainty?

“We remain firmly convinced that President Bola Tinubu is not involved in these excesses.

“Throughout his long and distinguished public life, the President has shown unwavering respect for due process, fairness, and institutional integrity.

“This latest incident bears all the hallmarks of local political rivalry being misinterpreted, or mischievously presented, as federal instruction.

“It is a dangerous muddling of partisan ambition with national authority.

“Government agencies and parastatals must never allow themselves to become weapons in political contests.

“To do so weakens not only the institutions themselves but the very fabric of our democracy.

“Chief Sylva has, for decades, served Nigeria with calmness, loyalty, and an almost disarming sense of patriotism.

“From his stewardship of Bayelsa State to his contributions at the federal level and his continued, unwavering support for the administration of President Tinubu, he has remained dignified even when confronted with provocation.

“His commitment to this nation has never faltered.”

Bokoru said Sylva’s aides and domestic servants such as Paganengigha Anagha, Friday Paul, Musa Mohammed, and Police Officer Reuben Ayuba were still in detention.

He said they have been held for several weeks on vague, insubstantial, and nearly non-existent allegations.

He added: “These are ordinary men, with families and hopes of their own, now caught in a political dragnet that has stripped them of clarity, certainty, and liberty.

“Their prolonged detention is unjust.

“Their suffering is needless.

“And their situation is emblematic of the wider injustice unfolding before the nation.

“Yet, despite the deep emotional strain of this moment, we remain hopeful. Nigeria has weathered storms before, storms of uncertainty, of injustice, of heavy-handedness, and emerged stronger.

“We believe justice will rise above intimidation that truth will outlast malice, and that, as with all trials faced with dignity and faith, this too shall pass.”

The founder of TAF Africa, Jake Epelle, has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to face his duties in Abuja and stop interfering in the affairs of Rivers State.

Epelle made the appeal on Tuesday during an interview on Channels TV’s The Morning Brief, where he spoke about the renewed tension in Rivers after some lawmakers defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He stressed that Wike is not the political godfather of the state and should not act as if he controls its political direction.

“There is no godfatherism in democracy. “Godfatherism” is an introduction of Nigerians and African political ideology. It will not work for heaven’s sake.

“Wike is not the godfather of politics in Rivers State. He should focus on his ministerial position and leave Rivers State and its people alone,” he said.

“You cannot hold the Rivers people by their jugular and think that whatever you say must happen, and whatever you didn’t say must not happen. It’s not going to happen,” he added.

Epelle stated that the people of Rivers will eventually rise and speak out, noting that many peaceful and strong-willed residents are ready to defend their political space.

“Let him stay as FCT minister and stay there and do whatever he needs to do in Abuja and leave Rivers State and its people alone,” he said.