News Politics August 31, 2026 Kano Ex-Commissioners congratulate Ganduje on appointment to Tinubu/Shettima 2027 campaign council

The Forum of Former Commissioners of Kano State, who served between 2015 and 2023, has congratulated former governor Abdullahi Ganduje on his appointment to the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 Tinubu/Shettima campaign.

The former commissioners, in a congratulatory letter, described the appointment as “fitting and richly deserved,” citing Ganduje’s decades of experience in public administration, governance and politics.

According to the forum, Ganduje’s new assignment, which includes mobilising senior citizens and other critical stakeholders for the success of the APC, requires a politician with maturity, credibility, extensive networks and experience in consensus-building.

On behalf of the Forum of Former Commissioners of Kano State, 2015–2023, we have the honour and pleasure to convey our warmest congratulations to Your Excellency on your appointment to the APC Presidential Campaign Council for the Tinubu/Shettima 2027 Presidential Campaign, with the strategic responsibility of mobilising senior citizens and other critical stakeholders towards the success of our great party.

Your appointment is both fitting and richly deserved. It entrusts a responsibility of considerable political importance to a statesman whose exceptional career embodies decades of public administration, grassroots governance, executive leadership, institutional management and practical politics. In contemporary Nigeria, few political figures can lay claim to credentials as extensive, diverse and enduring as yours. Your standing in our national political landscape is not merely a consequence of longevity in public life, but the culmination of an extraordinary progression through virtually every important layer of administration, governance and political leadership.

Your Excellency’s public career represents a remarkable continuum of service. Beginning as an accomplished career civil servant, you rose through the Federal Capital Territory Administration, acquiring extensive administrative experience and serving in senior capacities, including responsibilities in local government administration. You subsequently returned to Kano State and served as Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport from 1994 to 1998. With the restoration of democratic governance, you served as Deputy Governor of Kano State from 1999 to 2003. Your subsequent national assignments included service as Special Adviser on Political Affairs to the Minister of Defence and later as Executive Secretary of the Lake Chad Basin Commission in N’Djamena. You returned to Kano as Deputy Governor for a second term from 2011 to 2015, before being elected Executive Governor of Kano State, serving two consecutive terms from 2015 to 2023. Your political trajectory thereafter assumed an even broader national dimension with your emergence as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in August 2023, a position you held until June 2025. Today, you continue to render national service as Chairman of the Governing Board of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

Viewed in its entirety, Your Excellency’s career constitutes a formidable reservoir of experience. From the bureaucracy to grassroots administration; from the Kano State Executive Council to federal institutions; from two separate tenures as Deputy Governor to eight years as Executive Governor; and ultimately to the national leadership of the APC, you have acquired a rare combination of administrative knowledge, political experience, institutional memory and national relationships that places you among the most seasoned political figures in contemporary Nigeria. It is precisely this depth and versatility of experience that make your latest assignment particularly apposite.

The mobilisation of senior citizens and strategic stakeholders towards the success of the APC and the Tinubu/Shettima ticket in 2027 transcends conventional political campaigning. It demands maturity, credibility, tact, persuasion, extensive networks and the capacity to engage men and women whose experience, counsel and influence have been shaped by decades of service to our country. Your longstanding relationships across political, governmental, traditional, professional and community institutions uniquely position you for this responsibility. Beyond electoral mobilisation, the assignment presents an opportunity to harness the wisdom, experience, goodwill, institutional memory and enduring influence of our senior citizens towards strengthening party cohesion, reconciling interests, broadening political engagement and forging a formidable coalition for the success of our great party.

For us in the Forum of Former Commissioners of Kano State, 2015–2023, this appointment evokes a special sense of pride and satisfaction. Having had the privilege of serving in the Kano State Executive Council under your leadership, we witnessed at close quarters your resilience, political dexterity, administrative experience and capacity to navigate the intricate demands of governance and political leadership. We therefore have every confidence that you will bring the full weight of your experience, extensive national network and proven capacity for consensus-building to bear on this important assignment.

As Your Excellency answers yet another call to party and national service, please accept the assurances of our solidarity, goodwill and support. We pray that Almighty Allah (SWT) continues to grant you sound health, renewed strength, wisdom and guidance, and crowns your efforts with resounding success.

Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of our highest esteem and our heartfelt congratulations on this well-deserved appointment.

News August 31, 2026 JUST IN: Police confirm rescue of 10 out of 15 corps members abducted in Kogi

The Kogi State Police Command said that joint security forces comprising the Police, Military, Department of State Services (DSS), and other auxiliary forces have successfully rescued ten (10) Corps Members from the Egume Forest in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

According to a statement issued by ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, Police Public Relations Officer, Kogi State Police Command, on Monday said the rescue operation was achieved through a coordinated, sustained, and intelligence-driven operation by the joint security forces, as part of concerted efforts to secure the safe recovery of the victims, dismantle the criminal elements operating in the area, and bring the perpetrators to justice.

‘’The Command wishes to emphasize that the operation is still ongoing, with the potential to rescue all the kidnapped victims. Security forces have intensified operations within the area and are making concerted efforts to locate and safely recover the remaining victims, while simultaneously pursuing the perpetrators responsible for the attack,’’ the statement said.

‘’The Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, commends the gallantry, professionalism, and resilience of the personnel of the Police, Military, DSS, and other supporting security and auxiliary forces involved in the operation. He also appreciates the cooperation and support of members of the public, particularly residents of the affected communities, whose timely and credible information remains critical to the success of the ongoing operation.

‘’The Command, therefore, urges members of the public to remain calm and vigilant and to promptly report any suspicious movements or information that may assist the joint security forces in the ongoing operation.

‘’The Kogi State Police Command assures the people of Kogi State that every available operational resource is being deployed to ensure the safe recovery of all remaining victims and the apprehension of the perpetrators.

News August 31, 2026 EFCC sacked over 40 staff, prosecutes 5 others in three years

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, says more than 40 staff members have been dismissed for corruption and financial malpractice in the past three years.

Olukoyede spoke on Monday at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja during a briefing on the achievements of the commission under his leadership.

The anti-graft agency chairman said the commission had also commenced the prosecution of more than five of the affected staff members.

“In the past two and a half years or three years of my service, I’ve asked them to dismiss over 40 staff on account of corruption and financial malpractice. More than five of them are being prosecuted at the moment,” Olukoyede said.

“Because if that is what people do in other agencies and I arrest them, I investigate them, I prosecute them, why must I just dismiss you if you do it within our own system and I’m not prosecuting you?”

The EFCC chairman said some of the affected staff members are already being prosecuted, while case files involving others are being prepared for prosecution.

“You can follow those cases in court; they are public knowledge,” he said.

Olukoyede also disclosed that the commission had renamed its erstwhile department of internal affairs as the department of ethics and integrity.

He said the change was made to reflect the commission’s commitment to “internal cleansing”.

The EFCC chairman noted that the commission had designed a gift policy for its personnel as part of measures to strengthen accountability within the agency.

According to Olukoyede, staff members would be required to declare assets valued above a specified threshold, including gifts received from relatives abroad.

He said the commission would determine the types of gifts that personnel can accept, adding that the policy would help ensure staff can account for their means of livelihood and standard of living.

“You must be sure that your hands are clean. You can’t be fighting corruption when your hands are soiled with corrupt practices,” Olukoyede added.

News Security August 31, 2026 2027: Kano Police command emplaces security arrangement

As political activities towards the 2027 general elections mount up, the Kano State Police Command has emplaced robust security arrangements to ensure peaceful conduct of the process.

The Police Commissioner in the state, Dr. Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, disclosed this while addressing journalists on the activities of the command on Monday.

To this effect, CP Bakori said the command recently convened a strategic engagement with Political Party Leaders, Contestants, IPAC, INEC, Council of Ulama, CSOs and Security Agencies, during which political stakeholders were charged to shun hate speech, violence, and thuggery-related activities.

He said the command would deploy adequate personnel for the protection of INEC facilities and campaign venues.

He said an Election Security Situation Room and Complaint Response Desk had been established, assuring all parties of a level playing field, but warned that anyone who breaches public peace would be dealt with decisively in accordance with the law.

On the achievements recorded by the command between 1st August and 31st August 2026, the police commissioner disclosed that a total of 244 suspects were arrested for major crimes during the period.

These, he said, included 8 suspected kidnappers, 28 suspected armed robbers, 7 suspected motor vehicle thieves, 19 suspected drug dealers, 117 suspected thugs, and 65 other suspects who were arrested for various major offenses within the month under review.

He said dangerous weapons, vehicles and illicit drugs were also recovered during the arrests.

CP Bakori also said that a total of 17,684 sachets and 614 wraps of illicit drugs were recovered, including Tramadol: 5 Cartons and 17,070 sachets; Diazepam: 49 sachets, 3 cartons and 18 packs; Pregabalin: 90 sachets. Exol: 210 tablets.

Indian Hemp: 614 wraps.

He also disclosed that three (3) pistols and 65 rounds of live ammunition were recovered in connection with gun-running activities, while 6 motor vehicles, 4 tricycles and 7 motorcycles were recovered from criminal syndicates.

“There is a general reduction in crime rate and sustained peace in major parts of the Kano metropolis,” the commissioner added.

Politics August 31, 2026 Hajj 2027: Kano pilgrims welfare board decentralizes pilgrims’ screening, expands exercise to local government areas

The Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board has decentralized the medical screening of intending pilgrims to enhance the process ahead of the commencement of the Hajj.

To this effect, the exercise has been extended to the 44 local government areas of the state, beginning with the 2027 Hajj operation.

The Director-General of the Board, Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim Matawalle, disclosed the initiative while interacting with members of the Kano Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Monday.

Matawale said instead of screening the pilgrims centrally at the Pilgrims’ Camp in the state capital, the faithful would now be screened in their respective local government areas.

“I am trying to avoid a situation which happened this year when some pilgrims were on their way to the screening exercise; they had an accident, and some of them died. I will not allow that to happen again this year, by the Grace of Allah,” he said.

The Director-General said the new initiative would give the board a clear picture of the health condition of each and every intending pilgrim, and that the Center Officer responsible for each local government area would be detailed to ensure that the pilgrims are adequately taken care of during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

He said if during the screening exercise the board discovers that a pilgrim is unfit to perform the Hajj, his seat allocation would definitely be reversed.

On preparations for the 2027 Hajj, the Director-General gave intending pilgrims who have paid their 2027 Hajj fares but are yet to submit their electronic passports up to September 5, 2026, to do so or risk losing their allocated slots.

He explained that the measure was necessary so as to meet the timeline set by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for the processing of 2027 pilgrims’ documents and visas.

He warned that pilgrims who fail to submit their e-passports within the stipulated period would have their fares refunded, while their slots would be allocated to other intending pilgrims on the waiting list.

Matawale disclosed that more than 200 intending pilgrims were already on standby with their passports and evidence of payment, awaiting available slots.

According to him, Kano’s Hajj allocation currently stands at 3,050 pilgrims, following a reduction in Nigeria’s overall allocation by the Saudi Arabian authorities.

He said the board is determined to ensure that Kano does not lose any portion of its allocation due to delays in documentation.

News Sports August 31, 2026 JUST IN: Lionel Messi retires from int’l football

Lionel Messi said on Monday he is retiring from international football after leading Argentina to a second successive World Cup final in July.

“It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep in my soul but I understand that it is the right time,” Messi, 39, wrote on Instagram.

“I swear I always gave everything, not just in the last few years when we won everything but before that too, and I always fought and gave my all for this shirt,” he added.

Messi led Argentina to World Cup glory by winning the 2022 final against France in a penalty shootout in Doha, but his side lost 1-0 to Spain in the 2026 final.

Following the death of his father Jorge in August, Messi had said he had “serious doubts” about continuing to play football of any sort for “much longer”.

Messi’s contract with Major League Soccer club Inter Miami runs until the end of the 2028 season.

His full statement reads, “After all this time since the final, and after thinking about it a lot, I want to tell everyone that I’m retiring from the national team…

“It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep inside, but I understand that this is the right moment.

“I swear I always gave everything, not only in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too. I always fought and gave everything for this shirt, to bring you happiness and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.

“There isn’t much time left, and different chapters are coming to an end. This is one that hurts me a lot. I love, I loved, and I will always love being part of the national team. I gave everything I had, and I don’t have anything more to give.

“Also, there are great young players coming through who deserve to be here.

“Thank you for all the love during these 20 years. I’m going to miss hearing you from the inside. Now I’ll be one of you, always supporting from the outside, in the good times and even more in the bad ones.

“Thank you to my family for always being there and for being with me throughout this beautiful but difficult journey. Thank you to every coach, teammate and director I had the chance to share it with. I take with me unforgettable memories and moments.

“I leave with peace and pride, knowing that together with my teammates we gave you moments we once dreamed of. It was crazy to experience all of this with you. I love you!

“Thank you God for making me Argentine.

“Vamos Argentina!

“I wrote these words on July 21, two days after the final. Today, after what happened with my dad, I’m even more convinced of this decision than before.”

News Politics August 31, 2026 Those who refuse to support APC in 2027 will be flogged – Borno commissioner

The Borno State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Sainna Buba, has threatened to flog those who refuse to support the ruling All Progressives Congress in the forthcoming 2027 general election.

Buba made the remark in a now-trending video on Monday that captured a campaign inauguration event organised by the Tinubu City Boy Movement, a political support organisation campaigning for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.

He further said that anybody who supports their party (APC) would enjoy and benefit immensely from their government.

“As for some people who do not deserve us to call their names. In politics, sometimes things go smoothly, sometimes it goes with persuasion, and sometimes it goes with force. Right now, we are being persuasive, but we’ve noticed they are throwing jabs at us on TikTok. Well, it is not as if we are inefficient at blowing the whistle on politics.

“If they point fingers at us, we will point fingers at them; if they point fingers at us with malicious intent, then we will hold that finger and break it. This government is our government; follow us and enjoy honey. As for those who refuse to follow us, they will be flogged.

“We should all be aware that they will bring campaign materials for the state for us all to benefit,” he said.

The PUNCH reports that the chairman of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory, Samuel Shekwolo, warned residents who do not support the All Progressives Congress to leave the council ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Shekwolo made the comment in a video circulating on social media on Tuesday, in which he addressed his followers and constituents.

The council chairman said his position was informed by what he described as the developmental efforts of President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in Kuje.

He said residents could not benefit from the administration’s interventions and would subsequently vote against the APC at the 2027 elections.

Also, there was a recent controversy involving the senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, Francis Fadahunsi, who was criticised over comments concerning members of the Accord Party ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.

The remarks triggered condemnation from political actors and civil society groups, while Governor Ademola Adeleke demanded the senator’s arrest and investigation.

Fadahunsi later denied advocating violence, saying his remarks had been misconstrued. He said he meant that the APC would defeat the Accord Party with votes, rather than physically attack its members.

The senator was subsequently invited by the Osun State Police Command and questioned over the remarks.

The latest comment by the Borno commissioner has again drawn attention to the tone of political discourse ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly concerns that inflammatory statements by political leaders could heighten tension and undermine Nigerians’ freedom to choose their preferred political parties.

PUNCH