- INEC seeks ₦873bn to deliver 2027 general elections
- Fubara dissolves Rivers cabinet and appoints new spokesman
- Senate: INEC not ready for E-voting yet
- NBET reveals that only ₦60m was released from ₦858bn power support fund
- Aso Rock to go off the National Grid over overbilling claims
Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the top five Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss.
INEC seeks ₦873bn to deliver 2027 general elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission has informed the National Assembly that it will require ₦873.78 billion to conduct the 2027 general elections. The electoral body is also seeking ₦171 billion to fund its routine operations in 2026.
INEC chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, said the proposed ₦873.78 billion marks a sharp rise from the ₦313.4 billion released for the 2023 polls. The 2027 budget will cover all aspects of the nationwide elections.
He added that the 2026 proposal will support regular activities, including by-elections and off-season polls, and does not include a new allowance request from the National Youth Service Corps.
Fubara dissolves Rivers cabinet and appoints new spokesman
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has dissolved the State Executive Council and relieved all Special Advisers of their duties with immediate effect.
The decision was announced in a government statement issued in Port Harcourt and signed by the newly appointed Chief Press Secretary, Mr Onwuka Nzeshi. The governor also replaced his former Chief Press Coordinator, Nelson Chukwudi, though no reason was given for the change.
Fubara directed all commissioners and advisers to hand over to their respective permanent secretaries or most senior officials in their ministries pending further appointments.
Senate: INEC not ready for E-voting yet
Nigeria has not adopted electronic voting, and the Independent National Electoral Commission currently lacks the capacity to run such a system, the Senate has said. Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire made the clarification while discussing the review of the 2026 Electoral Bill.
He explained that the INEC Result Viewing Portal is not an e-voting platform. Instead, it only publishes results that have been manually counted and recorded at polling units.
According to him, real-time transmission simply means uploading signed result sheets to the portal, not casting votes electronically. He urged the public to avoid confusing result uploads with e-voting.
NBET reveals that only ₦60m was released from ₦858bn power support fund
Nigeria’s electricity market is under strain after just ₦60 million was released from the ₦858 billion set aside in the 2025 capital budget to cover tariff shortfalls. The Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Plc disclosed this during its budget review before the Senate Committee on Finance.
Acting managing director Johnson Akinnawo said the significant funding gap and non-cost-reflective tariffs continue to weaken the sector. He noted that the small sum released could not even be used due to procurement constraints.
He warned that the shortfall has increased NBET’s debt to power generation companies and threatens market stability.
Aso Rock to go off the National Grid over overbilling claims
Nigeria’s presidential villa will disconnect from the national grid by March 2026, following claims of overbilling for power not supplied. State House permanent secretary, Temitope Fashedemi, told senators that a solar system installed last December is undergoing final tests before full transition.
He said officials discovered inflated electricity charges during the testing phase and are seeking reconciliation of what he described as legacy liabilities. The State House Medical Centre has already run almost entirely on solar since May 2025.
The government budgeted ₦10 billion for the project in 2025 and an additional ₦7 billion in 2026.
