The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, on Tuesday, raised alarm over attack on former presidential candidate, Peter Obi and its members in Benin, Edo State.

Tanko disclosed that armed thugs had shot at Obi and members of the movement during the formal defection of Olumide Akpata into the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Benin City.

In a terse statement he signed tagged: “Breaking Red Alert in Benin, Edo State,” Tanko said: “PO and the leadership of the ADC are under siege and attack in Benin, Edo State.

“At the formal declaration of Olumide Akpata into the African Democratic Congress, armed individuals followed us from the ADC Secretariat to the residence of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

“They shot at the gate and destroyed several vehicles in what appears to be a survived assassination attempt on our lives. Democracy is in danger.”

A former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is yet to secure a response from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on his application for bail, his media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye said on Monday.

The statement also raised concerns about the former governor’s welfare while in detention, alleging that he suffered a nosebleed and faced restrictions on access to family.

El-Rufai voluntarily reported at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday, February 16, following an invitation.

He was held at the EFCC until the night of Wednesday, February 18 when he was transferred to the ICPC.

According to Adekeye, his lawyers say no remand order has been shown to them, despite the 48-hour window for holding a person without charge having lapsed.

On the same day, the Federal Capital Territory High Court is set to hear his fundamental rights case against the Federal Government, the ICPC, the EFCC and the DSS, seeking an order to admit him to bail.

Adekeye wrote, “Today marks eight days since Malam Nasir El-Rufai was detained. He voluntarily reported at the EFCC in the morning of Monday, 16th February 2026 in response to an invitation. He has been held since, first by the EFCC which kept him in custody until the night of Wednesday, 18 February when he was moved to the ICPC.

“This week, the courts would entertain at least two matters related to Malam El-Rufai. Hearing in his fundamental rights case against the Federal Government, the ICPC, the EFCC and the DSS has been fixed for 25th February. This case, which is before the FCT High Court, is seeking an order to admit him to bail.

“He is scheduled for arraignment on the same date on the widely publicised charges filed by the DSS.”

The detention follows a series of events since El-Rufai returned to Nigeria on February 12.

According to a timeline of events provided by Adekeye, at the airport, El-Rufai’s passport was seized during a failed arrest attempt, which his lawyers condemned as unlawful.

Hours later, the ICPC issued a letter requesting him to report on February 13.

El-Rufai proposed to comply on February 18.

Adekeye stated that between February 16 and 18, he remained in EFCC custody, despite being granted administrative bail under conditions including having a serving federal permanent secretary as surety.

His lawyer, Ubong Akpan, described the continued detention as unlawful, adding that access to him by family and lawyers was restricted.

On February 19, the ICPC searched El-Rufai’s residence on Aso Drive.

Akpan condemned the search as “unlawful and a clear violation of legal procedures and fundamental rights,” saying it was executed under a defective warrant.

He added that an application for bail submitted afterward has yet to receive any response.

Adekeye stated that El-Rufai subsequently filed a suit at the Federal High Court on February 23, seeking a declaration that the search warrant was invalid, citing lack of particularity, ambiguity, overbreadth and absence of probable cause.

The suit also seeks to prevent the use of items seized during the search in any proceedings against him.

According to Adekeye, further interrogation by the ICPC continued on February 20.

A civil society organization, Yiaga Africa, has released its preliminary report on the 2026 Federal Capital Area Council Elections held on Saturday.

The civic group reported that vote buying was witnessed at various polling units in the election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted elections for the position of chairman in the six area councils of the FCT, as well as for 62 councillorship seats.

Yiaga Africa said it deployed trained and duly accredited roving observers to systematically monitor the conduct of the elections.

It said that its observers were deployed by 7:30am and covered polling units across the sixty-two wards of the FCT, with their mandate including observing key aspects of the voting process, including opening procedures, accreditation, voting, and counting.

Yiaga Africa said it observed that the election was conducted in a largely peaceful atmosphere, adding that voters who presented themselves at polling units were afforded the opportunity to exercise their franchise without widespread disruption but added that notwithstanding this enabling environment, voter turnout was generally low, with most polling units recording poor turnout.

It said that logistical challenges adversely affected the timely commencement of polling, particularly in the Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, where delays in the deployment of personnel and materials contributed to late opening in several locations.

It added that the relocation of certain polling units coupled with inadequate and untimely communication of these changes to voters generated confusion and may have resulted in voter disenfranchisement saying that such administrative lapses have significant implications for electoral access and public

On its preliminary findings, the election watch agency said: “Yiaga Africa observers reported a delayed commencement of polling in several polling units, primarily attributable to logistical inefficiencies and, in some instances, election security–related challenges.

“As of 9:00 a.m., set-up activities were still ongoing in the majority of polling units observed, indicating that essential preparatory procedures had not been completed within the timeframe prescribed by electoral guidelines.

“In the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), particularly in Wuse and Gwarinpa wards, several polling units opened significantly behind schedule. Observers noted that polling officials were still arranging materials and organizing the voting environment as at 9:00 a.m., with accreditation and voting commencing only after 10:00 a.m. On average, across the sampled polling units observed, accreditation and voting began at approximately 10:00 a.m.

“Consistent with the Commission’s guidelines, critical election materials including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices and the voter register—were deployed in the polling units observed.

“However, in Polling Unit 004, Wuse Ward, Zone 2 Primary School, the voter register was not initially available and was only produced after observers raised concerns and voters objected. In addition, essential voting materials were absent in certain locations. Voting cubicles were not observed in PU002 (Ward 09), PU006 (Ward 01), and PU012 (Ward 10) in Abaji Area Council. Furthermore, an ink pad required for the voting process was reportedly missing in one polling unit observed.

“Observers reported instances in which voters were reassigned to newly created polling units without prior or adequate notification. While Yiaga Africa acknowledges INEC’s efforts to notify affected voters via SMS, many of these messages were delivered on Election Day, with some received hours after polling had already commenced. The lack of timely and effective communication generated confusion at several polling locations, as numerous voters spent over an hour attempting to ascertain their designated polling units.

“In multiple instances, this administrative shortcoming contributed to congestion and
overcrowding, thereby undermining orderly queue management and potentially
discouraging voter participation.

“The observation further revealed significant disparities in voter distribution within the same polling locations. Such pronounced imbalances raise serious concerns regarding the coherence, and reliability of the Commission’s polling unit expansion and voter redistribution framework.

“Closing of Polling Unit before the official 2:30pm: Observers reported some polling
units closing the polling process before the official 2:30pm close time. While some
polling units experienced poor voter participation, the guideline requires the polling unit to remain open until 2:30pm or the last person on the queue votes.

“Security Deployment and Observer Access: Yiaga Africa observed heavy security deployment in certain locations, which, in some instances, impeded the movement of accredited election observers and restricted access to polling units. Observers further noted that the heightened security presence created barriers for citizens attempting to
access polling units to exercise their right to vote.

“Vote buying: The persistent menace of vote buying once again manifested during the election. Yiaga Africa observers documented incidents of vote buying at polling units, underscoring the continued vulnerability of the electoral process to monetary inducement.

“Despite prior assurances and directives issued by INEC to security agencies to identify and apprehend both vote buyers and sellers, these illicit practices reportedly continued in several locations.”

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