Delegates and press denied entry at Eagle Square

‎By Ezzine

‎The 4th Elective National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was marred by significant disorder at Eagle Square, Abuja, on Friday, March 27, 2026. Despite the high-profile nature of the event, hundreds of accredited delegates and journalists were reportedly locked out of the venue, leading to heated confrontations with security personnel.

‎The situation escalated early Friday morning as security forces, including the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police, implemented a total lockdown of the access gates leading to the main bowl. Many delegates, some of whom had traveled from far-flung states in the South-South and North-East, expressed frustration despite claims of prior accreditation, numerous attendees were unable to obtain the mandatory entry tags required for access, raising serious concerns about the planning and logistics of the high-profile event. Journalists from major national and international outlets also reported being physically barred from entering, despite possessing valid accreditation tags.One journalist, who identified herself as Seyi, recounted her ordeal, expressing disbelief at the disorganisation. She explained that repeated attempts to secure her accreditation through the Media and Publicity Committee yielded no results, leaving her and her colleagues locked out of a major national assignment.

‎The situation grew more tense as some frustrated delegates attempted to force their way through the metal detectors.

‎The confrontation reached a breaking point when security operatives deployed tear gas to push back surging crowds at the accreditation gates. One delegate, identified as Mallam Auwal Umar, recounted a harrowing scene where a colleague collapsed after inhaling the gas during the melee. Umar lamented the heavy-handed treatment, stating that such hostility was entirely unexpected at a national political event meant to foster party stakeholders’ unity.

‎A security officer on the scene, speaking on the condition of anonymity, defended the use of force. He maintained that security operatives were under “strict instructions” to admit only individuals with specific, verified identification tags. According to the officer, the deployment of tear gas became a “necessary measure” only after the crowd allegedly grew unruly and began to overwhelm the security perimeter.

‎The logistical failure has cast a long shadow over the convention’s core agenda. While the primary goal remains the formal ratification of the party’s leadership, the sight of disenfranchised delegates and the reported medical emergencies at the gate have raised serious questions about the overall execution of the event.

‎The APC National convention that was intended as a unified gathering of 8,453 delegates to ratify 30 members of the National Working Committee instead devolved into a scene of physical distress and administrative disarray.

‎Attention also remained on the anticipated arrival of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is expected to formally declare the convention open. However, the unfolding chaos has already cast a shadow over the exercise questioning the overall execution of the event.

New date, May 10 deadline for political parties

‎By Ezinne

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially extended the deadline for political parties to submit their electronic membership registers. In a statement released on Friday, March 27, 2026, the commission announced that the original closing date of April 21 has now been shifted to May 10, 2026, following intense pressure and concerns raised by party leaders.

The decision was reached after a high-level meeting between INEC officials and political party chairmen on Tuesday, March 24. Parties had expressed significant difficulties in meeting the initial timeline under the Revised Timetable for the 2027 General Elections, citing the technical demands of the new electronic registration system required by the Electoral Act 2026.

‎INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna clarified that the adjustment is intended to align with Section 77(4) of the Act, which mandates that registers must be submitted at least 21 days before any primary election.
‎In addition to the register extension, INEC has also provided a wider window for the conduct of party primaries. Political parties are now permitted to hold their internal elections between April 23 and May 30, 2026. The commission emphasized that while the deadline has been moved to May 10, any party scheduling its primaries early in the window must ensure their register is submitted at least three weeks [21 days] prior to their specific date. This administrative shift is seen as a major relief for opposition parties that had previously protested the “tight” schedule, claiming it hindered their internal democratic processes. In view of this latest deadline, all political parties are expected to adhere to this timeline to ensure a smooth electoral process come 2027.

DATE: 19/3/2026

To the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abuja, Nigeria.

We, the Concerned Elders of Warri Federal Constituency, write with anger that can no longer be restrained and with a sense of duty that cannot be compromised because what is unfolding before our eyes is not merely a delay but a dangerous erosion of constitutional order and a calculated suffocation of justice. Your continued refusal to publish the final ward delineation result, despite a clear and binding judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, has moved beyond administrative hesitation into the realm of institutional defiance and it now stands as a direct threat to peace, stability and democratic legitimacy in Warri Federal Constituency. Let it be clearly stated without ambiguity or apology, this delay is not administrative, this delay is not accidental and this delay is injustice in motion.

We reject in totality the sustained attempts to distort the historical realities of Warri through selective narratives and deliberate misrepresentations. Documented records, colonial archives, scholarly works and judicial findings, have consistently established that Warri is a historically multi-community region whose identity cannot be monopolized by any single group. Accounts preserved in Benin archival traditions clearly indicate that Prince Ginuwa’s arrival into the coastal region was facilitated by already existing riverine populations and his prolonged stay in areas such as Amatu underscores the undeniable presence of organized communities long before the emergence of later political structures. In the authoritative work of Prof. Alan Ryder, Benin and the Europeans (1485–1897), the early presence of Niger Delta communities along the Benin River and Escravos axis is unmistakably acknowledged, while historical writings attributed to William Moore further concede that the territory was inhabited by Ijaw, Urhobo (Sobos) and Mahin peoples prior to the crystallization of Itsekiri identity. Judicial records, including Suit No. W/28/65 and other land-related litigations, equally demonstrate that ownership and occupation in Warri have always been layered, shared and contested, not absolute, not exclusive and certainly not subject to the narrow claims now being amplified. Traditional inter-marriages, lineage intersections and centuries of socio-cultural interaction across communities reinforce a simple but powerful truth. Warri’s history is one of coexistence, not monopoly. These are not emotional assertions, they are recorded facts, preserved in history, affirmed in scholarship and tested in law and no volume of propaganda can erase them.

Yet, while truth stands firmly documented, INEC has chosen silence. The Supreme Court of Nigeria has already spoken in clear, final and binding terms in the case of George Timinimi & Ors v. INEC (SC/CV/1033/2022), directing the proper delineation of wards in Warri Federal Constituency. That judgment is not open to negotiation, reinterpretation or delay. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, under Section 287(1), commands that the decisions of the Supreme Court shall be enforced by all authorities and persons across the Federation and INEC is not exempt from this command. The Commission has already conducted the delineation exercise, the fieldwork has been completed, communities have been engaged, data has been gathered and the process has been executed. What remains is the publication of the final result, yet this simple constitutional duty has been withheld, transforming what should have been a straightforward act of compliance into a troubling display of institutional reluctance. This is no longer a delay in process, it is a refusal to complete justice.

Let it be understood in the clearest possible terms that without the publication of the final delineation result, the electoral framework of Warri Federal Constituency remains fundamentally incomplete, structurally defective and legally questionable. Where the foundation is uncertain, the structure built upon it cannot stand and any voter registration exercise, electoral preparation or political activity conducted under such conditions raises serious concerns about legitimacy, legality and constitutional compliance. Democracy is not an abstract concept sustained by rhetoric, it is a system grounded in representation and representation itself begins with properly defined and publicly recognized electoral units. You cannot conduct credible elections on disputed boundaries, you cannot organize democratic processes on concealed outcomes and you cannot claim legitimacy where justice remains suspended.

Every passing day that INEC withholds this result deepens uncertainty, fuels suspicion and amplifies tension. Silence in a matter of this magnitude is not neutrality, it is complicity. Delay is not harmless, it is dangerous. Nigeria has paid dearly in the past for ignoring early warning signs in sensitive regions and Warri must not be allowed to drift into avoidable instability because a constitutional body refuses to act in accordance with the law. The consequences of inaction are already visible in the rising anxiety among communities, the spread of misinformation and the growing perception that forces opposed to transparency are influencing a process that should be guided solely by law and fairness.

We therefore call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to intervene with urgency and decisiveness. The Presidency must rise to its constitutional responsibility, the Attorney-General of the Federation must defend the authority of the Supreme Court and the National Assembly must not remain silent while the implementation of a lawful judgment is indefinitely delayed. A democracy where court orders are treated as optional is a democracy in decline and the rule of law must not be sacrificed on the altar of hesitation, pressure or convenience.

Our position is clear, firm and non-negotiable. We are not asking for favour, we are not negotiating for privilege and we are not pleading for consideration. We are demanding justice. We insist that INEC must immediately publish the final ward delineation result for Warri Federal Constituency in full compliance with the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Anything short of this is unacceptable, indefensible and contrary to the principles upon which this nation stands.

INEC, the moment before you is a defining one. History will not remember explanations, it will remember actions. The courts have spoken, the process has been completed and the people are waiting. Warri cannot be held hostage by delay and justice cannot be postponed indefinitely without consequence. The Constitution must not be reduced to mere words and the authority of the Supreme Court must not be treated as symbolic.

Publish the final delineation result now. Not tomorrow. Not later. Now.

Signed:

Chief Tiemopere Joshua (President)

Chief Ebikeme T. Godstime (Secretary)

Concerned Elders of Warri Federal Constituency

Cc:

The President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

The National Assembly of Nigeria

The National Security Adviser (NSA)

The Attorney-General of the Federation

The Delta State Government