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The possibility that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may refuse to recognize politicians who defect to new parties after May 10, 2026 is increasingly gaining traction within Nigeria’s political circles — and while not entirely absolute in law, the argument has strong procedural and political foundations.

Under the current electoral timetable, political parties are expected to conduct primaries between April 23 and May 30, 2026. However, before those primaries can legally hold, parties are required to submit their membership registers to INEC at least 21 days before the exercise.

This requirement has effectively transformed May 10 into a politically strategic deadline.

The implication is simple: a politician seeking to contest under a new political platform must ordinarily have his or her name captured in that party’s official membership register submitted to INEC before participating in primaries.

As a result, aspirants who defect after the deadline risk finding themselves in a legal grey area where they may no longer qualify as valid members eligible to contest under their new parties.

Aspirants excluded from official membership registers may face challenges including:

* Disqualification from party primaries;
* Legal disputes over eligibility;
* Rejection of nomination documents;
* Internal party litigation from rival aspirants.

However, the interpretation is not completely airtight.

First, political parties do not all hold primaries on the same date.

Second, politicians sometimes conclude defection arrangements privately before publicly announcing their movement, meaning their names may already exist within submitted party structures before formal declarations are made.

Third, Nigerian courts historically play a significant role in determining pre-election disputes, and judicial interpretation could still affect how rigidly the deadline is enforced in practice.

Still, despite these possible exceptions, the broader political message remains clear: the window for strategic defections ahead of 2027 is rapidly closing.

Fresh political intrigue has emerged in Bauchi State following the circulation of a receipt allegedly showing that Senator Shehu Buba purchased a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship nomination form ahead of the 2027 elections.

The document, which surfaced on social media on Friday, bears the name “Buba Umar Shehu” and indicates a payment of ₦20 million for a PDP governorship nomination form in Bauchi State.

The receipt, dated May 8, 2026, has not been independently verified, but its circulation has already triggered widespread speculation across the state’s political landscape, especially considering that Shehu Buba is currently a serving senator elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The development has also raised questions about possible cracks within the APC in Bauchi State, as well as ongoing realignments within the opposition PDP.

Fueling the controversy further, PDP spokesperson and Bauchi indigene, Haruna Mohammed Jungudo, reacted to the development in a Facebook post written in Hausa.

“Ba da yawun bakin mu ba Mallam Shehu Buba,” he wrote — loosely translated as, “This was not done with our knowledge, Mallam Shehu Buba.”

Political observers interpret the statement as a sign that a faction within the PDP may not have been aware of the alleged move.

As of the time of filing this report, Senator Shehu Buba had not publicly confirmed or denied the authenticity of the receipt, while neither the APC nor the PDP leadership in Bauchi State had issued an official statement on the matter.

Fresh cracks have emerged within the ranks of governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), following reports of an internal leadership tussle within the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF).

The development has reportedly divided the governors into rival camps, with one faction reaffirming support for the current PGF Chairman and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, alongside the forum’s Deputy Chairman and Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani.

Another bloc within the forum is said to be rallying around Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

Sources familiar with the development said governors aligned with the Abiodun-led camp are reportedly from Adamawa, Zamfara, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa, Niger, Kwara, Plateau, Enugu and Katsina states.

On the other hand, governors believed to be backing Uzodimma include those from Kano, Taraba, Kebbi, Yobe, Lagos, Gombe, Kogi, Edo, Ekiti, Ondo, Sokoto, Jigawa, Ebonyi, Nasarawa and Kaduna states.

Amid mounting speculation over the leadership of the forum, governors loyal to Uzodimma on Friday passed a vote of confidence in him during an emergency meeting held at the Imo State Lodge in Abuja.

The meeting came hours after the PGF dismissed reports alleging that Uzodimma had been removed as chairman of the forum.

Earlier reports had claimed that Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, emerged as the new chairman of the forum after a closed-door meeting allegedly attended by about 20 APC governors in Abuja on Thursday night.

However, no official statement confirming a leadership change had been issued by the forum as of the time of filing this report.

Rt. Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi has dismissed reports of a purported consensus arrangement for National Assembly nominations in Plateau State, describing the circulating list as “fake, misleading and fabricated.”

In a statement issued by his supporters and signed by Hon. Josiah Takorah, Special Legislative Aide to the lawmaker, the camp of the federal lawmaker said no such endorsement or agreement exists within the party structure.

The statement alleged that the publication making rounds on social media was the handiwork of “desperate political elements” allegedly threatened by Gagdi’s growing popularity and grassroots support within the party.

According to the statement, Gagdi remains “the most widely accepted and naturally preferred candidate” for the House of Representatives position, enjoying support from party stakeholders and grassroots members across Plateau State.

The supporters further claimed that the National Chairman of the APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, as well as Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, were not aware of any purported consensus list or endorsement arrangement.

“The National Chairman of our party has neither approved nor endorsed any purported consensus arrangement as falsely claimed by the purveyors of this fake news,” the statement added.

The camp maintained that attempts to circulate the alleged list were only increasing Gagdi’s political relevance and visibility across Plateau State and beyond.

Supporters of the lawmaker called on party faithful and the public to disregard the publication and remain committed to strengthening the party ahead of future political activities.

(Originally reported by Taskar Gizago)

The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, has stated that anyone who kills innocent people without justification cannot be regarded as a Muslim, even if they shout “Allahu Akbar” while carrying out acts of terrorism.

The Sultan emphasized that the ultimate destination of every terrorist is hellfire, where they will face punishment for their evil deeds. He added that many violent conflicts wrongly linked to religion are often misunderstood, thereby fueling suspicion and mistrust among the public.

According to reports by Vanguard newspaper, Sultan Sa’ad made the remarks last Wednesday during the first 2026 meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council held in Abuja, where he spoke in his capacity as chairman of the council. Other speakers at the meeting included the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Daniel Okoh, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.

Clarifying his position on terrorism, the Sultan said:

“Let us correct the way this issue is described. Terrorism is not about religion. We should stop dragging religion into this matter.

“We should call them by their real name — terrorists. Stop attaching the label ‘Muslim’ to them. Stop calling them Muslim criminals, Muslim terrorists, or Muslim bandits. Even if a person claims to be a Muslim, if what he does contradicts the teachings of Islam, then the religion should not be blamed for his actions.”

At the meeting, religious followers across Nigeria were urged to promote peace, tolerance, and mutual understanding. Participants stressed that every religion calls for the worship of one God, and therefore religion should never be used as a tool to create conflict among communities.