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The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has said it will challenge the Federal High Court judgment ordering its deregistration by filing an appeal at the Court of Appeal.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ADC would approach the appellate court immediately to contest the ruling.

According to him, the party remains undeterred by the court’s decision and is prepared to confront the legal challenge.

Abdullahi maintained that the ADC had built a strong political structure despite previous challenges and described its internal democratic processes as among the most extensive conducted by any political party in the country.

He said: “By tomorrow morning (Tuesday), ADC will be in the Court of Appeal. Ours is a party that was born out of adversity, and we are accustomed to challenges like these.

“We are not distracted by them. Despite the obstacles, we have built a formidable political party and carried out one of the most ambitious internal democratic exercises in the country.

“What we achieved during our primaries is unprecedented and sets a standard that no other political party in Nigeria has matched.”

DAILY POST reports that his remarks followed Monday’s judgment by Justice Peter Odo Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deregister the ADC, the Accord Party and three other political parties over alleged constitutional breaches.

The court also directed INEC to stop recognising the affected parties and barred them from participating in activities relating to the 2027 general elections pending compliance with constitutional requirements.

Residents of at least 26 communities in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State have begun contributing money to pay fresh levies imposed by bandits who have also barred them from accessing their farms ahead of the wet season farming activities.

Residents told Daily Trust that the armed groups issued a three-day ultimatum, warning farmers not to visit their farmlands until the levies demanded from the affected communities were paid.

According to the sources, the affected communities include; Garin Faji, Cina Barka, Zululu, Dan Gari, Garin Maigayya, Gardi, Katsira, Garin Baushe, Sulmawa, Zakin Ganga, Dan Kware, Garje, Dogon Faru, Son Allah, Garin Galadima, Kafchi, Matabaya, Garin Labo, Zango, Kaifin Aska, Tsauna Dogo, Tudun Wada, Rambadawa, Ga Itace, Nasarawa and Garin Idi.

A resident who maintains close contact with people in the affected villages said the bandits threatened to kill or abduct anyone found farming during the period.

“The communities were given three days. They said nobody should go to the farms until the money is paid. Anyone caught farming would either be killed or kidnapped and would not regain freedom until a ransom of N500,000 is paid,” he said.

He said residents had already started contributing money to meet the demands.

A resident of Zululu village, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was preparing to go to his farm on Friday when he learnt of the directive.

“We were told that the bandits had banned farming activities for three days until the villages paid the levies they impose every year.

“They said they could have allowed people to go to their farms and then kill some and abduct others, but they wanted the money instead.

According to them, security operatives have been seizing their livestock, so no farming would take place until the levies were paid,” he said.

He said traditional rulers and Islamic clerics from the affected communities were expected to meet with the bandits to determine how much each village would pay before residents could resume farming.

The resident said the communities had been subjected to such payments for years.

“We pay before planting and sometimes every two or three months. Even after paying now, they may return in about three months and say nobody should harvest millet until another levy is paid.

“They usually demand between N4 million and N6 million from a community. Villagers contribute according to their means. Some households pay N1,500 or N2,000, while in some villages farmers contribute as much as N5,000 each depending on the population,” he said.

Another source, who is an indigene of Garin Idi village and currently residing in Sabon Birni town, who visited the community on Friday to sympathise with residents following the abduction of about 20 people in the early hours of the day, confirmed that the affected communities had already started raising money to pay the levies.

He alleged that when the bandits felt the payments were being delayed, they stormed Garin Idi and abducted about 20 people on Friday.

“They later told community leaders that N600,000 must be paid before the victims could be released. The money was raised and paid, leading to the release of the abductees on Friday,” he said.

The source added that five other persons were still being held captive.

“As of now, there are still five people in their custody. They said they will not release them until the levy is paid. Even after farming, they may still prevent people from harvesting until fresh payments are made,” he said.

He further alleged that farmers are often compelled to surrender part of their harvest to the bandits before they are allowed to store food in their barns.

“Every year, after harvesting, they demand part of the produce from farmers before allowing them to store their crops. This has become a recurring burden on our communities,” he said.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in Sokoto State, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said the command was not aware of the development.

“We are not aware of such a situation. Most times, communities do not report these kinds of incidents to security agencies,” he said.

Efforts to get the reaction of the Sokoto State Government were unsuccessful. Text and WhatsApp messages sent to the governor’s spokesman, Abubakar Bawa, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Col. Ahmad Usman (rtd), seeking their comments on the allegations had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.

Nearly 80% of Nigerians say the country is moving in the wrong direction ahead of the 2027 general election, according to the first wave of the Nigeria 2027 Voter Sentiment Tracker released by SBM Intelligence.

The report found that almost eight in every 10 respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the country’s trajectory, reflecting widespread concerns over economic conditions, insecurity, unemployment, and governance.

According to the report, the survey was conducted across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and covered 829 eligible voters in eight states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The exercise was carried out in the third week of May 2026 through face-to-face interviews conducted in markets, schools, viewing centres, and hotels.

SBM Intelligence said the survey was designed to gauge electoral sentiment ahead of the 2027 elections, covering voter registration, turnout intentions, issue priorities, candidate favourability, confidence in the electoral process, media consumption patterns, and concerns about artificial intelligence-driven misinformation.

What the data is saying
The report shows that dissatisfaction with the country’s direction cuts across virtually all regions of Nigeria.


Wrong-direction scores exceeded 88% in the South-East, South-South, North-Central and North-West zones. The South-East recorded the highest level of dissatisfaction, with 92.2% of respondents saying the country is headed in the wrong direction.

The South-South followed closely with 89%, while the North-West recorded 88.2%. In the North-Central, 90.1% of respondents expressed a negative assessment of the country’s direction.

The South-West and North-East recorded relatively lower levels of dissatisfaction, though majorities in both regions still expressed concerns. About 60.3% of South-West respondents and 63.5% of North-East respondents said the country was moving in the wrong direction.

The findings suggest that public discontent remains widespread despite regional differences in political preferences and voting behaviour.

The report also found that insecurity remains the dominant concern for many Nigerians.

Across the country, 45% of respondents identified insecurity and terrorism as their most pressing concern. Another 34% cited a combination of economic hardship and insecurity, while 13% pointed primarily to economic issues.

Insecurity was particularly prominent in the North-West, South-West and South-East, where large majorities identified security challenges as the issue that worries them most.

However, it is important to note that the survey reflects the views of 829 respondents interviewed across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and should be interpreted as a snapshot of voter sentiment rather than a prediction of the 2027 election outcome.

Assessment of Tinubu administration
The survey paints a bleak picture of public perceptions of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

According to the report, Tinubu recorded a national net favourability score of negative 58.5, making him the least popular among the leading political figures assessed.

Respondents were also asked to rate the administration’s performance across five policy areas, including inflation, taxation, security, jobs and electricity.

The South-East gave the administration its lowest average rating of 1.14 on a four-point scale, while the North-West recorded the highest score of 2.02. However, even the highest rating remained below the midpoint of 2.5, indicating that respondents generally viewed government performance negatively.
The report noted that approval ratings remained weak across all geopolitical zones, reflecting widespread frustration with living conditions and governance outcomes.

More insights
Beyond dissatisfaction with current conditions, the survey suggests that voter sentiment could significantly influence the outcome of the 2027 election.

The report found that regions with the strongest turnout intentions also recorded some of the highest levels of dissatisfaction with the country’s direction.

The South-East recorded the highest turnout intention at 87.4%, followed by the South-South at 82.9% and the North-West at 82.4%.

SBM Intelligence noted that these regions could play a decisive role in determining the outcome of the next presidential election, particularly if voter mobilisation remains high.

The survey also highlighted concerns about the growing influence of social media and artificial intelligence on political information.

According to the report, social media is now the primary source of news for many Nigerians, particularly in the South-East where usage was highest.

At the same time, significant numbers of respondents expressed concern about AI-generated misinformation and deepfakes, raising questions about the quality of information voters may consume during the election season.

What you should know
The findings come as political activity ahead of the 2027 election continues to gather momentum, with the contest already shaping up to resemble the three-way presidential race that characterised the 2023 election.

While party alignments could still change before the polls, the current political landscape points to a contest involving President Bola Tinubu of the APC, Peter Obi of the NDC, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the ADC, with each expected to command support in different parts of the country.

The survey also comes amid growing concerns over insecurity, particularly the resurgence of kidnappings across several states. In recent months, reports of abductions involving commuters, farmers, students, traditional rulers, and other citizens have continued to dominate public discourse, reinforcing security as one of the most important issues likely to influence voter decisions ahead of the election.

According to the report, the combination of widespread dissatisfaction, strong voter motivation in key regions, and an increasingly fragile information environment could make the 2027 election one of the most consequential in Nigeria’s recent hist.

VIDEO: Angry Protesters Occupy Nyanya-Karu Bridge Over Insecurity, School Kidnappings

Credit: Arise News pic.twitter.com/PzOJ5YrQHG

— Daily Trust (@daily_trust) June 13, 2026

Protesters chant 'Tinubu must go' on streets of Abuja today.

Video Credit : ComedianKoboko // IG pic.twitter.com/9vfr9MdiX0

— Vanguard Newspapers (@vanguardngrnews) June 11, 2026

The Edo state government has ordered the immediate closure of three secondary schools in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area following intelligence reports of a kidnap threat against students.

The directive, contained in a circular issued by the State Ministry of Education and signed by its Permanent Secretary, Mr Enodolomwanyi Otamere, said the affected schools were Ososo Grammar School, Ososo Comprehensive High School and Makeke Secondary School.

The circular dated June 9 was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Benin.

NAN reports that the closure came against the backdrop of a security intelligence report by the Department of State Services (DSS).

The reports in a memo dated June 5, and sighted by NAN, warned of an alleged plan by suspected bandits to carry out a mass abduction of school children in Edo North Senatorial District.

According to the intelligence memo addressed to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the DSS intercepted communications between two suspected bandits.

The two suspects allegedly discussed targeting school children after earlier attempts to kidnap wealthy individuals failed to yield expected financial gains.

The report indicates that the suspects believed abducting students will attract greater government attention and increase their chances of securing substantial ransom payments and other concessions.

The memo further revealed that a 25-year-old suspect was arrested on June 4 while allegedly conducting surveillance around Makeke Secondary School in the Makeke community, one of the schools subsequently shut by the government.

According to the document, the suspect’s activities heightened fears that preparations for the planned operation may already have been underway.

In response to the threat, the security agency advised authorities to strengthen protection around schools and educational institutions across the state, particularly in Edo North.

The DSS also recommended the deployment of additional security personnel, enhanced collaboration among security agencies, local vigilante groups and hunters, as well as intensified patrols and surveillance in vulnerable communities.

Meanwhile in the memo directing the closure of the schools, the permanent secretary said that the decision followed security advisories from relevant agencies warning of threats to the safety of students, teachers and surrounding communities.

“The Ministry of Education has received intelligence reports and advisories from relevant security agencies regarding credible threats to the safety of students, staff, and school communities in some parts of the Akoko Edo Local Government Area,” he said.

He added that all academic and non-academic activities in the affected schools had been suspended until further notice as part of efforts to safeguard lives and property.

Otamare said that in spite of the closure, candidates currently sitting for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) would continue to have access to examination centres under strict security arrangements.

“Candidates currently participating in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) shall be allowed access to sit for their examinations under strict security arrangements and supervision as may be provided by the relevant security agencies and community stakeholders,” he said.

He directed school principals to ensure the orderly release of students to their parents and guardians, secure school facilities and maintain close communication with government authorities and security agencies.

He also urged parents and residents of the affected communities to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies as efforts continue to neutralise the threat and restore normal academic activities. (NAN)

HE Rotimi Amaechi, arrives at the residence of HE Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for a private meeting. pic.twitter.com/Ls9yWnUiMM

— CRA Advocacy Network (@CRA_Advocacy) June 8, 2026

Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku Abubakar, has fired back at former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir David Lawal, accusing him of dangerous ethnic profiling, hollow contradictions, and substituting suspicion for evidence in a series of public attacks.

Atiku made his position known in a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.

The former Vice President said it was unfortunate that a man of Babachir’s standing had chosen to abandon facts and reason in favour of ethnic prejudice and conspiracy theories in his desperate attempt to discredit a political opponent.

He said the most disturbing aspect of Babachir’s intervention was not the criticism itself, which he acknowledged as a democratic right, but the repeated attempt to portray an entire ethnic group as inherently linked to criminality.

“It is both dangerous and irresponsible to suggest that any Nigerian should be judged, condemned, or held accountable for crimes committed by individuals simply because they share a common ancestry,” Atiku said.

He observed that by such flawed reasoning, every ethnic nationality in Nigeria could be collectively blamed for the actions of a few criminal elements within their communities — a mindset he said had historically fuelled division and undermined national unity.

Atiku also pointed out the irony that Babachir now sought to demonise the very ethnic group from which former President Muhammadu Buhari emerged, noting that it was Buhari who appointed Lawal to the highest office he ever occupied in public service.

“At no point did Mr. Lawal object to receiving such trust and elevation from a Fulani President. He accepted the office, the privileges, and the prestige that came with it. It is therefore difficult to understand why he now seeks to stigmatise an entire ethnic group merely because another Fulani man seeks the presidency through democratic means,” Atiku said.


He further drew attention to what he described as a glaring contradiction in Babachir’s public conduct, noting that on the very same day Lawal issued his lengthy attack, he was granting media interviews, boasting that no fewer than five governors wanted him back in the All Progressives Congress APC.

“Nigerians are entitled to ask a simple question: which Babachir should they believe? The Babachir who claims to be a victim of political conspiracies and ethnic domination, or the Babachir who boasts that governors are scrambling for his services?” Atiku queried.

He said such contradictions exposed a man struggling to reconcile personal disappointment with political reality, adding that it was difficult to take lectures on principle from someone who spent the morning marketing his political value to one party and the afternoon accusing another party’s presidential candidate of representing an ethnic conspiracy.

On allegations that he had been indifferent to victims of violence, Atiku dismissed the claims as demonstrably false, saying he had consistently condemned terrorism, banditry, kidnappings, and communal violence across the country, regardless of the ethnic or religious identity of the victims.

He recalled that when tragedy struck the people of Kagoro in Southern Kaduna, he attended a church thanksgiving service to identify with the grieving community — without asking whether the victims were Christians or Muslims, northerners or southerners, Fulani or non-Fulani.

“Leadership is not about counting tribes or measuring faith. It is about standing with people in moments of difficulty, regardless of their ethnic or religious identity. That has always been my approach, and it will continue to be,” he stated.

Atiku also cited his facilitation of scholarships for some of the released Chibok schoolgirls at the American University of Nigeria as evidence of his commitment to action over rhetoric, saying several of the beneficiaries had since graduated and rebuilt their lives.

He described attempts to question his competence as an entrepreneur as both amusing and detached from reality, pointing to his investments across multiple sectors of the economy and the American University of Nigeria as enduring monuments to private initiative and national development.

Dismissing Babachir’s overall posture, Atiku said the tone of the former SGF’s recent interventions revealed a man increasingly consumed by resentment.

“His heart appears full of bitterness, and his public utterances increasingly reflect anger rather than reason, grievance rather than evidence. While we do not share his hostility, we genuinely pity him. Mr. Lawal would be better served by stepping away from the politics of hate and embracing reflection and personal healing that can restore perspective and balance.

“Babachir may see tribe. I see Nigerians. Babachir may see division. I see a nation that must come together if it is to overcome its present challenges. That is the difference between politics driven by resentment and leadership driven by purpose,” he said.