The Forum of Progressive Speakers of State Legislatures under the All Progressives Congress (APC) has commended the passage of the State Police Bill by the Senate, describing it as a major milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen internal security and enhance community-based policing.

This was contained in a press statement signed by the forum, led by the Speaker of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin.

He said the legislation represents a historic shift in the country’s security architecture and would empower states to respond more effectively to security challenges.

Dangyatin said the enactment of the bill was a victory for effective governance and grassroots security management.

According to him, the long-standing demand for a policing structure that understands local realities and peculiar security concerns has finally received legislative backing.

“The passage of this bill is a resounding victory for effective governance and community-focused policing. For years, the clamour for a security structure that understands the local terrain has been loud.

“With this enactment, we are empowering states to better protect their people, respond swiftly to security threats, and foster closer collaboration between citizens and law enforcement,” he said.

The forum pledged its full support for the successful implementation of the new law, assuring Nigerians that APC-controlled State Houses of Assembly would expedite the ratification process and establish legal frameworks suited to the security needs of their respective states.

It also promised to put in place effective oversight mechanisms to ensure that state police operations adhere to the principles of professionalism, respect for human rights and the rule of law.

Furthermore, the forum said it would collaborate closely with state governments to guarantee adequate funding for the recruitment, training, equipment and welfare of state police personnel.

The speakers expressed appreciation to the leadership of the National Assembly, the executive arm of government, and other stakeholders who contributed to the passage of the bill.

They expressed confidence that the introduction of state police would help curb crime, improve public safety and create an enabling environment for economic growth and development across the country.

A socio-cultural organization in Ebonyi State, Ezza Ezekuna Development Association, EEDA, has declared that the governorship seat in the state must remain in Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone till the 2031 general election, for justice, fairness, equity and political stability.

EEDA dismissed the recent communique issued by a group describing itself as the Umuekumenyi Leaders’ Council, in support of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  candidate, Ifeanychukwuma Odii, from the Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone.

It declared that the Umuekumenyi Leaders’ Council has no legal existence as it is not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, and has no constitutional foundation within the constituent clans of Umuekumenyi.

Briefing newsmen on Thursday in Abakaliki, National President of the association, Chief Kingsley Akam, Secretary, Comrade Uchechukwu Edeh, and a member of the association, Professor Chike Emmanuel Onwe, said EEDA aligns itself with the established zoning arrangement governing political succession in the state.

It insisted that Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone must be allowed to complete its own two tenures of the governorship seat as done by other two senatorial zones in the state.

“The Ezza Ezekuna Development Association believes firmly in justice, fairness, equity and political stability. These are not abstract values to be invoked in ceremony and abandoned in practice.

“They are the operative principles upon which durable inter-communal harmony is built, and they have contributed significantly to the peace and progress enjoyed across Ebonyi State since its creation.

“We align ourselves fully with the established zoning arrangement governing political succession in Ebonyi State, and we do so not as a new or recent conversion but as an expression of a position that the leaders and people of Ezza Ezekuna have previously declared and consistently maintained.

“That position has never changed, and it shall not change. The governorship of Ebonyi State remains, in accordance with the prevailing zoning understanding, in Ebonyi North until 2031. No reasonable Ezza person, properly informed of the history of our state and properly committed to the collective stability of Ebonyi, would oppose this arrangement. Those who do so act neither on behalf of Ezza people nor in the interest of the peace that all our communities depend upon.

“The so-called Umuekumenyi Leaders’ Council has no legal existence. It is not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission. It has no constitutional foundation within the traditions or governance structures of any of the constituent clans of Umuekumenyi.

“It is, in plain terms, a contraption — assembled hurriedly and without mandate by individuals pursuing personal political agendas under the cover of a name designed to create the illusion of collective authority. The public, the media and all relevant institutions are advised to treat it as such,” Akam said.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says it has suspended an electoral officer allegedly involved in the voter data leak concerning Nollywood actor and politician, Emeka Ike.

The Commission disclosed on Thursday that investigations by security agencies and data protection regulators are still ongoing.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna,  made the disclosure during a fireside chat organised by the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa, PAACA, in Abuja.

The suspension came against the backdrop of a controversy that arose after the voter registration details of actor and politician, Emeka Ike, surfaced online during a dispute linked to a political party primary election in the Federal Capital Territory.

The electoral body said preliminary findings showed there was no external breach of its ICT infrastructure or compromise of its voter register.

Rather, according to the Commission, the data was allegedly accessed using valid credentials assigned to officials involved in the ongoing CVR exercise and subsequently disclosed without authorisation.

INEC said its audit trail enabled investigators to identify the specific user account used to access the voter record, leading to the questioning of personnel with access to the system.