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Saturday, 31 October 2026Lagos · LondonUpdated 06:42 GMT

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2027 elections

Sowore treated in hospital after attack in Ado-Ekiti; police deny he was kidnapped

Omoyele Sowore
Photo: Mohamed Nanabhay from Qatar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) for 2027, has raised the alarm that he was attacked and abducted by armed thugs in Ado-Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State.

What he said

In a Facebook post on Friday, 30 October 2026, Sowore wrote that thugs had attacked him and his team inside a restaurant in Ado-Ekiti. A further post said he had been kidnapped by armed men and that his location was unknown. His campaign repeated the alarm on his official X account. It was not immediately clear how the attackers got into the restaurant, how many people were involved, or whether anyone with him was hurt.

Hospital and police account

Later on Friday, Sowore shared photos of himself and an aide receiving treatment, and reports said his brother and some supporters were also hurt. The Ekiti State Police Command denied that he had been kidnapped. Its spokesperson, SP Sunday Abutu, said officers responded to a distress call after an altercation at a restaurant in the Dalimore area, rescued him and took him to the Police Hospital, where he was treated for a minor injury. The Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, ordered an investigation.

Sowore's accusations

Sowore rejected the police account, saying there was no altercation and that he and his team were violently attacked. He accused the Department of State Services of trailing his team since they arrived in the city and giving their location to the attackers, and claimed the attackers came from Ekiti Government House. Neither the state government nor the DSS had publicly responded at the time of reporting. The attack reportedly happened shortly after he left a radio interview.

Background

Sowore, the founder of the online news platform SaharaReporters, has run for president before and is seeking the office again in 2027. He has been one of the loudest critics of the government in recent weeks, condemning the remand of actress and AAC governorship candidate Doris Ogala and claiming that President Bola Tinubu's trip to Saudi Arabia was for medical care, a claim the Presidency rejected. He has also accused the police of using the Cybercrimes Act to protect powerful people. The alleged attack comes amid rising tension and reports of violence at political events as the January 2027 elections draw closer.

How people reacted

Supporters called on the police and the Department of State Services to find him quickly, while others urged caution until the facts are confirmed.

More gist

2027 electionsReported
A Nigeria Police armoured vehicle (stock image)
Stock image: theglobalpanorama / Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0

Sokoto ADC governorship candidate says his convoy was attacked near airport

Manir Muhammad Dan'iya, the ADC governorship candidate in Sokoto State, says his convoy was blocked and shot at near the Sokoto airport on Friday night, damaging his vehicles. He blames state security personnel, while police say anyone found responsible will face the law.

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for governor of Sokoto State, Manir Muhammad Dan'iya, has alleged that his convoy was attacked near the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport in Sokoto on Friday night, 30 October 2026.

What he says happened

According to his media aide, Aminu Abdullahi, the incident happened at about 9pm, shortly after Dan'iya had seen off former governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal at the airport. He alleged that members of the Sokoto State Marshal and Community Guard blocked the convoy, saying they were acting on orders to keep ADC members out of the state. He said efforts to calm the situation failed before shots were fired. Dan'iya reportedly escaped unhurt, but his bulletproof vehicles were damaged, and he said two Department of State Services officers attached to his security team were taken away. He also said he had noticed unusual deployments at several entry points into the state earlier in the day.

Official response

The Sokoto State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Ahmad Rufae, said the command would take necessary action and that anyone found responsible would face the law. The Sokoto State Government and the Marshal and Community Guard had not publicly responded at the time of the report, and the allegations have not been independently verified.

What he is asking for

Dan'iya reported the matter to the state Commissioner of Police and asked the Inspector-General of Police and the head of the DSS to investigate and secure the release of the two officers. He also called on the state government to explain the alleged orders.

Background

The incident is the latest in a string of reported attacks on opposition figures as campaigning for the January 2027 elections intensifies. On the same day, AAC presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore said he was attacked in Ado-Ekiti, and an APC rally in Katsina was disrupted earlier this week.

2027 electionsReported
Peter Obi
Photo: VOA / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Obi promises to go into the bush himself to rescue kidnap victims if elected

NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi has reportedly told a rally in Bayelsa State that he would personally go into forests to rescue kidnap victims if he becomes president. He also promised free primary education and at least 10,000MW of electricity, and criticised President Tinubu's foreign trips.

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Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has reportedly promised to personally lead efforts to rescue kidnap victims if he is elected in 2027.

What he said

Speaking at a campaign rally in Bayelsa State on Friday, 30 October 2026, Obi said that if anyone kidnapped schoolchildren or anyone else under his government, he would go into the bush himself. He said he had recently travelled by road through several states, including Enugu, Kogi, Nasarawa and Ebonyi, and that Nigeria's roads must be made safe. He said his government would start by uniting the country so that no region or group felt left out.

Other promises

Obi reportedly pledged that public money would be managed openly, that an NDC government would work with states to make primary education free, and that it would aim to generate, transmit and distribute at least 10,000 megawatts of electricity. He claimed current supply is far lower.

Criticism of Tinubu

Obi criticised President Bola Tinubu for not visiting Bayelsa, where oil was first discovered in Nigeria, and repeated his claim that the President spends a large part of the year abroad. The Presidency has previously rejected such claims, and had not responded to the latest remarks at the time of the report.

Background

Obi has held a series of town halls and rallies this week, including in Nasarawa, where he said election riggers would be jailed, and in Ebonyi. Insecurity, including kidnappings on highways and in schools, remains one of the biggest issues for voters ahead of the January 2027 elections.

2027 electionsReported
Atiku Abubakar in a pinstripe suit
Photo: Etauso / Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Atiku demands forensic audit of voter register after INEC admits AI-generated photos

ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has called for an independent forensic audit of the voter register, after INEC admitted that some of its officers entered AI-generated photos. His campaign claims more than 20 million images may be involved and says it will go to court if INEC does not disclose the full details.

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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has demanded an independent forensic audit of Nigeria's voter register following INEC's admission that AI-generated photos were entered into it.

What he demanded

In a statement issued on Friday, 30 October 2026, by Phrank Shaibu, communications director of the ADC presidential campaign, Atiku called for the audit to be carried out by accredited experts with the participation of political parties, civil society groups and international observers. He asked that no disputed records be certified until the audit is complete, and that INEC name, suspend and prosecute every officer involved. He also asked the commission to preserve voter records, image files and access logs, and to publish the names of companies contracted to produce sensitive election materials. The statement warned that the campaign would go to court to force disclosure if INEC refused.

The 20 million claim

The statement claimed that more than 20 million AI-generated images may be involved. The campaign did not publish evidence for the figure, and INEC has not given a number of affected records.

INEC's position

INEC's ICT director, Lawrence Bayode, said this week that some registration officers with system access entered AI-generated and poor-quality photos, and that the commission knows how it happened but not why. Atiku's campaign described that explanation as an evasion. INEC says the online register is still being cleaned up and that the final version will be certified on 15 December.

What happens next

Other opposition parties are expected to join calls for an audit, and the issue is likely to dominate election debates in the coming weeks.

2027 electionsReported
President Bola Tinubu
Photo: Nosa Asemota / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Atiku's son Abba unveils two-million-man march for Tinubu's re-election

Abba Abubakar, a son of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has announced a two-million-man march across the six geopolitical zones in support of President Tinubu's re-election. His Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation says it will start in Abuja and hold a major rally in Rivers State in early November.

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Abba Abubakar, a son of ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, has unveiled plans for a nationwide march in support of his father's rival, President Bola Tinubu.

What he announced

Speaking at the APC national secretariat in Abuja on Friday, 30 October 2026, Abba, who chairs the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation (HBTO), said the group plans a two-million-man march across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones, starting from Abuja. He said the group would work with the FCT Minister to deliver the Federal Capital Territory for the President, and would hold a major mobilisation exercise in Rivers State in the first week of November. He also announced a transport scheme starting with ten buses in the FCT, to be expanded later.

Why he backs Tinubu

Abba reportedly said his support is based on his own assessment of the President's reforms. He acknowledged that the reforms had caused hardship but argued that their long-term goals justify backing the government, and said HBTO would build grassroots networks to explain government policies to citizens.

Background

The group was previously known as the Atiku Haske Organisation. Abba left the PDP and joined the APC, a move that drew wide attention given his father's long rivalry with Tinubu. Atiku is running for president again in 2027 on the ADC platform and has been one of the sharpest critics of the Tinubu government, including this week over the President's trip to Saudi Arabia and the voter register.

How people reacted

The announcement drew mixed reactions, with APC supporters welcoming it as a sign of Tinubu's broad appeal and opposition supporters dismissing it as a publicity move.