The Adamawa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially unveiled Alhaji Abubakar Mahmud Wambai as its deputy governorship candidate.

With this development, Wambai, who hails from the northern part of Adamawa State and holds the traditional title of Madakin Mubi, will contest the 2027 governorship election as the running mate to the party’s governorship candidate, Chief Mauris Vunobolki, who is from Numan in the southern part of the state.

Vunobolki was celebrated earlier this week after his name was uploaded to the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the recognised PDP governorship candidate for the 2027 election in Adamawa State.

Abubakar Wambai is widely regarded as a seasoned administrator, accomplished educationist and former member of the House of Representatives. His selection as running mate is seen as a significant boost to the PDP’s governorship ticket.

The unveiling of Wambai, which attracted party executives and other stakeholders, is seen as completing the PDP’s governorship ticket in Adamawa State, placing the party on the path to intensifying its campaign ahead of the 2027 elections.

With the unveiling, the PDP has become the first party in Adamawa State to officially present a deputy governorship candidate for next year’s election.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has a deputy governorship candidate, Adamu Kamale, but he has not yet been officially presented to the public.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians that every valid vote will count in the 2027 general elections, promising to conduct a credible process that reflects the will of the people.

The assurance was given on Thursday by the Head of Voter Education and Publicity at INEC Kwara State, Dr Adejumo Peter, during a seminar organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ilorin.

Speaking at the event, Dr Peter said the electoral body would strictly follow its rules and procedures to ensure that the elections are free, fair and based on the principle of one person, one vote.

“INEC in Kwara will follow the rules and procedures as laid down by our commission. We will ensure that the elections are done on a one-man, one-vote basis. At the end of the exercise, the outcome of the elections will reflect the will of the people,” he said.

He also dismissed the belief that collecting or hoarding Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) could influence election results, saying technological improvements had made such tactics ineffective.

“INEC has done a lot so that people cannot use another person’s PVC to vote in an election. That is why politicians have resorted to vote-buying. Many of them are still living in the past because stockpiling PVCs cannot guarantee electoral victory,” he said.

The INEC official urged political parties and candidates to focus on issue-based campaigns instead of violence.

He advised them to present their programmes to voters and allow the electorate to make informed choices.

“Political parties and their candidates should obey the rules, focus on selling their manifestoes to voters and avoid any form of violence before, during and after the elections. Elections should be conducted peacefully, and everyone should respect the outcome,” he said.

Also speaking at the seminar, the Head of INEC’s Legal Unit in Kwara State, Atata Abdulfatai, described the amended Electoral Act 2026 as a major step towards strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to him, the new law introduces reforms aimed at improving transparency, promoting internal democracy within political parties, and expanding the use of technology in elections.

Governor Ademola Adeleke’s campaign team, the Imole Campaign Council, TICC, has accused the Osun State Police Command of attempting to influence the August 15, 2026 governorship election.

The council also alleged that the recent arrest of the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, was politically motivated.

In a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, the campaign council described the operation as a reckless abuse of authority and claimed it reflected what it called the police command’s partisanship ahead of the election.

“The Osun Police Command, led by Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotan, had departed from its constitutional responsibility of maintaining law and order and had instead become involved in political activities.

“The arrest of Igbalaye and others was part of an attempt to remove key Accord leaders and mobilisers from the political scene before the governorship poll. We reject allegations linking the arrested individuals to criminal activities.

“The unlawful raid on the home and arrest of the SSG, Hon. Igbalaye, has proven our concerns right. Attempts by the police to portray the arrested officials as criminals is nothing but a comical relief hurriedly put up to whitewash a terrible policing job,” the campaign team said.

TICC argued that any police watch list remained an internal security document unless an individual had been officially declared wanted.

It described references to such a list in relation to Igbalaye as “irresponsible and a brazen act of blackmail”.

The campaign council also challenged the police’s interpretation of electoral laws, insisting that the Electoral Act 2026 did not support allegations of vote buying more than two weeks before an election.

It maintained that the section of the law cited by the police applied specifically to election day.

On the issue of the reported ₦4.8 million recovered during the operation, the council argued that there was no legal prohibition against possessing such an amount.

It claimed that the sum was below the threshold specified under the Money Laundering Act for individuals.

According to TICC, “The funds were intended to cover logistics, including transportation costs for Accord mobilisers attending a political meeting. Possession of the voters’ register did not constitute an electoral offence because the register is publicly available to all participating political parties.”

The statement alleged that suspected APC supporters had recently invaded collation centres in Okuku, Odo-Otin Local Government Area, and Akarabata in Ile-Ife, carting away Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs.

It claimed that the incidents were acknowledged during a stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo but alleged that the police had failed to act against those responsible.

“We urge the Osun Police Command to note that it is not a political party nor an arm of the APC, but a public institution funded by taxpayers’ money. Accord members are being subjected to harassment and intimidation without legal justification,” it stated.

The campaign council called on the police authorities to release Igbalaye and the other detained individuals immediately.

“Democracy should be about the contest of ideas, not the rule of force, and the Police should know that its job is strictly law enforcement, not forcing leadership choice on the people.”