President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated four national commissioners and two resident electoral commissioners (RECs) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to fill vacancies arising from the expiration of existing tenures. The nominations were announced in a State House press release issued on Friday, October 16, 2026, by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy. According to the statement, the Senate will scrutinise all the nominees ahead of their confirmation. President Tinubu has also reappointed Dr Bala Bila as the national commissioner representing the North-East geopolitical zone. The newly nominated national commissioners include Professor Mustapha…
Author: Ini Sam
By Ofonime Honesty Almost every attempt to restore sanity and order in society faces stiff, hydra-headed resistance from those accustomed to disorder and chaos. Recently, I was at Ibom Plaza when the Uyo Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA) anti-street trading enforcement team arrived with police officers. They came in their vehicles. They came with the law in their hands. They came to meet roadside traders who had blatantly refused to relocate into designated stalls inside the plaza or other approved markets after a grace period. The traders were defiant. But the UCCDA team was not moved. They had watched the…
-Orders Withdrawal of Official Car, Security -As Helen Runs to Remi Tinubu for Intervention -Helen ‘Crops Out’ Father’s Image in Cryptic Social Media Post The governor of Akwa Ibom State, Governor Umo Eno, has suspended his eldest daughter, Lady Helen Obareki, as the Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Akwa Ibom State, The Guide Newspaper can authoritatively report. The governor has also allegedly locked out the daughter from the office of the First Lady and ordered the withdrawal of her official car and security details. It can be recalled that the governor’s daughter was appointed Senior Special Assistant to the…
President Bola Tinubu has announced that he will not attend every All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign rally ahead of the 2027 general election, a move that may shut the possibility of the President visiting Akwa Ibom State before the end of his first tenure. It can be recalled that the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, had repeatedly announced that the President would be visiting the state to commission some projects as part of the state anniversary celebration. But The Guide Newspaper reported that President Tinubu had rejected pleas from Pastor Umo Eno, and Senate President Godswill Akpabio…
A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, that transactions totalling ₦1.425 billion were carried out for foreign exchange purchases between December 15, 2021, and February 21, 2022. The witness, Jamilu Abdullahi, a bureau de change operator who testified as Prosecution Witness 19 (PW19), said the foreign currencies purchased through the transactions were delivered to Abba Adaudu. Abdullahi gave the testimony on Thursday, October 15, 2026, before Justice Maryanne Anineh while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN. Explaining the…
The Akwa Ibom State Government has paid four months’ stipends to the selected pro-government journalists in the state, following a report by The Guide Newspaper on the prolonged non-payment of stipend. The payment comes days after The Guide Newspaper reported on Monday that journalists receiving the stipends had gone more than five months without payment, raising concerns about their welfare amid growing family and financial responsibilities. Although the payment brings relief to the affected journalists, one month’s arrear remains outstanding. The stipend, commonly referred to as ‘Danjuma’, has reportedly been paid to selected journalists over the years, dating back to…
AI Must Remain Servant, Not Master, of Nigerian Democracy — Amupitan The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, has declared that artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithms will not determine the outcome of the 2027 General Elections, insisting that the choice of Nigeria’s leaders rests solely with the electorate. Amupitan made the declaration at the Artificial Intelligence and Democracy Forum 2026 in Abuja, themed “Safeguarding the 2027 General Elections in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” “Algorithms will not, and must never, decide the 2027 vote,” he said. “The choice of who leads Nigeria belongs…
-As INPA faults govt’s handling of journalists’ welfare, urges Gov Eno to approve immediate payment Journalists in Akwa Ibom State who receive monthly stipends from the state government for their support are facing mounting financial pressure following five months of non-payment arrears, with the delay coming at a time when many families are grappling with the expenses associated with the resumption of schools. The stipends, which have reportedly been made to selected journalists over the years since the administration of former Governor Victor Attah, are intended to support journalists covering government activities in the state. The payments are usually processed…
By Emmanuel Sam As Akwa Ibom State moves towards the 2027 general elections, Governor Umo Eno faces questions over the strength of his political base, his handling of political interests and his apparent reliance on Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District for electoral support. Governor Umo Eno, an Ibibio from Nsit Ubium Local Government Area in Uyo Senatorial District, would ordinarily be expected to draw substantial support from his home constituency and the wider Ibibio population across Uyo and Eket Senatorial Districts. However, concerns over his approach to governance, alleged failure to fulfil political promises, strained…
A frontline socio-political group in Akwa Ibom State, the Ibibio Vanguard, has mourned the untimely and unfortunate death of an Akwa Ibom son, Comrade Etimbuk Daniel, at the orientation camp of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), in Enugu State. In a press release signed by its National Secretary of Ibibio Vanguard, Comrade Silas Udom, the noted that the state has been thrown into deep mourning following Mr Daniel’s, demanding that thorough investigation must be carried out to ascertain the actual cause of death. “Our whole state is very sad and crying because our dear son, Comrade Etimbuk Daniel, died…