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The Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Kamoru Ogunlana has described the 2026 House of Representatives Open Week as a vital platform for deepening democratic governance, promoting transparency and strengthening the relationship between Parliament and the Nigerian people.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2026 House of Representatives Open Week in Abuja, the CNA, on behalf of the National Assembly Management, welcomed dignitaries from across the country and commended the leadership of the House for sustaining an initiative that has become a symbol of parliamentary openness and public engagement.

The event attracted a wide range of stakeholders, including the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, members of the judiciary, lawmakers, representatives of the executive arm of government, diplomats, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations, development partners and members of the media.

The event attracted a wide range of stakeholders, including the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, members of the judiciary, lawmakers, representatives of the executive arm of government, diplomats, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations, development partners and members of the media.

According to the CNA, the Open Week has evolved into one of the most significant expressions of democratic participation in Nigeria, providing citizens with an opportunity to understand legislative processes and directly engage with their elected representatives.

He noted that the House of Representatives occupies a unique position within Nigeria’s democratic framework as the chamber with the broadest representation of the people, drawing members from every federal constituency across the country.

“The House serves as the closest legislative institution to the people, translating local aspirations into national policies and legislation,” he said.

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A leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and former Chief Whip of the Senate, Sir. Rowland Owie, has expressed dissatisfaction over the change of the name of the party’s candidate for the Edo South senatorial district in the 2027 general election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission portal had the picture of Sunny Aguebor as the senatorial candidate while it had the name Epelle-Asemota Bridgitte Osayuki as the candidate.

Reacting to the development in a telephone interview, Owie said Aguebor emerged as the candidate of the party in a primary election monitored by the INEC and alleged that a national officer of the party may be responsible for the current development.

Owie declared the development as fraud that would not stand, noting that Aguebor is the Edo South Senatorial candidate.

He said, “The truth is fraud cannot stand. The duly nominated candidate for Edo South NDC is Sunny Aguebor.

His primary election was monitored by the INEC and we have the CTC of his nomination from INEC.

“The party uploaded the information to INEC portal. What they were trying to do is to put that lady’s name but they couldn’t remove Aguebor’s picture.

“Whoever did it is a criminal, it is because we want peace in the party otherwise such a person should have been arrested. It is a criminal act. The NDC is a corrective party, we can’t be part of fraud.

“We have written to the INEC to make the necessary corrections. The person behind the fraud is a leader in the South South and we can get him arrested for forgery.”

When contacted, the state chairman of the party, David Olukoga said the party was still working with the INEC over the issue.

“Those are social media issues, when we are ready, we will publish our lists, we are not done with INEC, when we are done, they will give us our list and we will publish them,” he added.

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Kebbi State Governor, Dr Nasir Idris, on Wednesday convened an emergency security meeting to review the security situation in the state and strengthen measures aimed at addressing emerging security challenges in some communities.

The meeting, which brought together key security stakeholders, focused on reviewing and reinforcing existing security strategies to ensure a more coordinated and effective response to threats across the state.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Internal Security, Haliru Wasagu, said the governor called the meeting as part of his administration’s commitment to protecting lives and property and sustaining peace across Kebbi State.

According to Wasagu, the discussions centred on fine-tuning the state’s security architecture and enhancing collaboration among security agencies to improve operational effectiveness.

“Our governor is fully committed to flushing out criminal elements and dismantling their hideouts. Anyone found engaging in criminal activities will face the full weight of the law,” the commissioner said.

He added that Idris had continued to intensify efforts to maintain peace, law and order, assuring residents that the government would not relent in confronting all forms of criminality.

Wasagu also appealed to residents to support security agencies by providing timely and credible intelligence capable of aiding the identification, arrest and prosecution of criminal elements.

“If members of the public remain vigilant and work closely with security agencies, the fight against crime will be more effective,” he said.

The commissioner further commended security personnel operating in the state for their dedication, professionalism and sacrifices in ensuring peace, stability and public safety, assuring that the state government would continue to support their operations.