By staff Reporter Rukevwe Odeh

Leader of the Warri South-West Legislative House and Chairman of the Delta State Councillors Forum, Rt. Hon. Ekpemupolo Idukedoumene Samuel, has warmly welcomed Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, alongside members of the Delta State APC Campaign Council, to Warri South-West Local Government Area.

The visit forms part of the party’s political engagements and mobilisation activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Ekpemupolo Samuel’s reception of the governor and his entourage underscores the involvement of political and legislative stakeholders in the party’s activities across the local government area.

The visit also provides an opportunity for party leaders, elected representatives and grassroots stakeholders to interact as the APC intensifies its political engagements across Delta State.

By staff Reporter Rukevwe Odeh

The PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, led by its Grand Patron, High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, has deployed 50 campaign vehicles to Enugu and Cross River states as part of its grassroots mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The vehicles, with 25 allocated to each state, were presented on Monday, November 9, during separate ceremonies marking the inauguration of the movement’s state structures in Enugu and Calabar.

The movement also distributed other campaign materials, including public address systems, to strengthen its outreach across communities, electoral wards and polling units.

In Enugu, Tompolo, represented by the Managing Director of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, Chief Kestin Ebimorbowei Pondi, reaffirmed the movement’s commitment to supporting the All Progressives Congress (APC) by taking the policies and programmes of President Bola Tinubu’s administration directly to the people.

He explained that the mobilisation campaign would extend beyond residential communities to markets, motor parks, churches, mosques, shops and other public gathering points.

Pondi also commended Governor Peter Mbah for ongoing development initiatives in Enugu State, including road infrastructure, transport terminals, smart schools, security facilities and aviation projects.

The Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, who represented Mbah, welcomed the movement’s grassroots mobilisation efforts and assured members of the state government’s readiness to integrate the organisation into its campaign structure.

In Cross River, Governor Bassey Otu, represented by his deputy, Dr. Peter Odey, pledged that the state would mobilise at least 1.5 million votes for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Otu attributed the state’s support to developments under the Tinubu administration, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, increased federal allocations and infrastructure projects.

He also expressed optimism that Tinubu’s re-election would support Cross River’s ambition to regain its oil-producing status and actualise the Bakassi Deep Sea Port.

Speaking through Pondi, Tompolo urged residents to support Tinubu and other APC candidates, describing the administration’s economic reforms as a gradual process that requires patience and continuity.

He cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), increased federal allocations to states and the removal of fuel queues as developments he believed should be sustained.

The National Coordinator of the movement, Comrade Sunday Adekanbi Asuku, also urged eligible Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and participate actively in the 2027 elections.

He identified student loan initiatives, local government autonomy and the establishment of the South East Development Commission among the administration’s programmes cited by the movement in its mobilisation campaign.

Meanwhile, APC chairmen in both states, Dr. Martin Chukwunweike of Enugu and Sony Etta of Cross River, expressed support for the mobilisation exercise.

The latest deployment further expands the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement’s nationwide grassroots campaign, which is focused on strengthening its structures at state, local government and ward levels ahead of the 2027 elections.

By staff Reporter Rukevwe Odeh

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed 1,609,553 invalid records from the national voters’ register following a nationwide verification exercise aimed at strengthening the credibility of the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The commission also disclosed that 54 personnel across 10 states had been identified for alleged involvement in registration irregularities, warning that those found culpable would face disciplinary measures, including possible prosecution.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists in Abuja on the outcome of the review of the Preliminary Register of Voters.

According to him, the deleted records comprised 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations and 873 records belonging to verified deceased voters.

Amupitan explained that the irregularities were uncovered through a comprehensive screening exercise involving the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), which initially flagged 1,545,052 records for further examination.

He said 1,277,052 registrations were confirmed invalid and removed before the publication of the preliminary voters’ register.

Following complaints, claims and objections received during the seven-day public display exercise between October 9 and 15, another 268,000 records underwent further verification. Of these, 217,722 were declared invalid, while 50,278 were confirmed valid and retained.

The chairman added that subsequent screening identified an additional 113,886 invalid registrations, bringing the total number of invalid records removed to 1,608,660.

He attributed some of the irregularities to deliberate attempts by individuals to circumvent established registration procedures, including the alleged misuse of provisions designed to accommodate persons with disabilities.

Amupitan said the commission had identified 54 persons across 10 states allegedly connected to the infractions and would take appropriate disciplinary action, including possible criminal prosecution.

He also acknowledged that some of the irregularities dated back to previous voter registration exercises between 2011 and 2023, stressing that the commission was determined to address historical weaknesses in the national register.

On concerns about manipulated and artificial intelligence-generated photographs, the INEC chairman said additional safeguards had been introduced to prevent further abuse of the registration system.

He disclosed that the commission had directed its ICT department to discontinue external webcam-based image uploads for voter registration, insisting that photographs must henceforth be captured through an approved application.

Amupitan further assured Nigerians that existing electoral safeguards, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), would help prevent multiple accreditation and voting during the 2027 elections.

He said INEC was currently undertaking final reconciliation and quality assurance ahead of the publication of the final national voters’ register, scheduled for December 15, 2026.

The chairman maintained that the commission remained committed to protecting eligible voters from wrongful exclusion while ensuring that invalid records were removed to strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.