By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that its preparations for the 2027 general elections remain on course, despite pending amendments to the Electoral Act in the National Assembly.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made the announcement on Wednesday in Abuja during a stakeholder briefing with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

He revealed that the commission has already drafted a preliminary timetable and schedule of activities for the polls. However, he noted that the timeline remains contingent on the National Assembly’s passage of the amended Electoral Act.

“We have submitted our recommendations for the Act’s amendment to the legislature,” Amupitan said. “While our preparations are advancing steadily, the finalization of some activities will depend on when the new law is enacted.”

The Chairman assured that the commission would adapt its plans as necessary once the legal framework is in place, affirming that the delay would not compromise INEC’s commitment to conducting credible, free, and fair elections.

“Until the amended Act is passed, we will continue to operate under the existing electoral law,” he stated. “Our focus remains unwavering on delivering our constitutional mandate.”

Amupitan also emphasized the importance of continued partnership with CSOs and other stakeholders to bolster public confidence and ensure a transparent electoral process ahead of the 2027 polls.

The former Deputy Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Tijjani Muhammad Gwarzo, is prepared to challenge Senator Barau I. Jibrin during the 2027 Kano North Senatorial Zone elections.

Bashir Hayatu Gentili, the secretary of ATM Gwarzo’s steering committee, stated this to Nigerian Tracker

The statement reads as follows: *”ATM Gwarzo for Senator 2027 Steering Committee: All the invited 45 members of the above committee for the Abuja meeting should report to Nicon Luxury Hotel, Tafawa Balewa Road, Area 11, Abuja, from Friday, 6 February 2026.
Announcer: Bashir Hayatu Gentili (MA London), mnipr, mipra, mipsa, arpa. Interim Committee Secretary.”

Those urging Engineer Abdullahi Tijjani Muhammad Gwarzo to contest for the Senate are his political allies since the days of the Social Democratic Party, when he served as Chairman of Gwarzo Local Government, through his time at the defunct United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP), his tenure as Chairman of Gwarzo under the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and his candidacy as the ACN gubernatorial candidate in the 2011 general elections.

If the former Deputy Governor accepts the call, he will slug it out with Nigeria’s Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, during the APC primaries.

Recently, during the defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf from NNPP to APC, the Deputy Senate President seemed to have shelved his gubernatorial ambition by declaring support for Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Former Governor of Benue State, Senator Gabriel Suswam, has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

His resignation was conveyed in a letter dated Wednesday, personally signed and addressed to the leadership of his Mbagber Council Ward in Logo Local Government Area. A copy of the letter was made available to journalists in Makurdi.

Suswam stated that the decision to leave the party was difficult, acknowledging the platform it provided for him to serve as a Member of the House of Representatives, a two-term Governor of Benue, and a Senator.

“For these opportunities and the trust reposed in me at different times, I remain sincerely grateful,” he said.

However, he cited the party’s protracted internal crisis as the primary reason for his departure, noting that all efforts by well-meaning members to resolve the disputes had failed.

“The party that once stood as a symbol of cohesion, internal democracy, and progressive opposition has regrettably become plagued by persistent and unresolved internal conflicts,” Suswam said.

He criticized the PDP for being “perpetually trapped in crisis mode,” describing it as “an institution in political intensive care, with no consensus diagnosis and no agreed treatment plan in sight.”

The former governor explained that he could no longer reconcile his continued membership with his personal convictions and desire to contribute to nation-building within a stable political framework.

“I believe that political parties must serve as platforms for ideas, discipline, and constructive engagement, not arenas of endless internal warfare. Regrettably, the current state of affairs within the PDP no longer aligns with these ideals,” he stated.

Suswam concluded by saying he considered it “honourable and necessary to step aside,” while wishing the party well should it eventually resolve its “longstanding internal contradictions.”