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The Obidient Movement has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to clarify the whereabouts and official engagements of its Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, after National Commissioner, Professor Rhoda Gumus, appeared as Acting Chairman during a meeting with an African Union (AU) delegation in Abuja.

The group raised the issue earlier today, September 16, following an INEC post on X on Tuesday, September 15, identifying Gumus as Acting Chairman as she received the AU Pre-Election and Needs Assessment Mission to Nigeria. The delegation, led by former Ethiopian Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen, visited INEC headquarters as part of its assessment of Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Gumus represented Amupitan at the meeting and outlined the commission’s preparations for the 2027 elections, including the deployment of electoral technology, reforms to the voter register and collaboration with security agencies.

However, the Obidient Movement said it was concerned that, to its knowledge, INEC had not publicly explained when or why Amupitan handed over his duties to Gumus.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Dr Yunusa Tanko, the group said, “As far as the Obidient Movement and Nigerians are concerned, there was no official communication of Professor Amupitan’s handover to anyone, either in acting or substantive capacity.

“This raises legitimate questions about the Chairman’s current location, official schedule and the circumstances surrounding his absence.”

The movement urged INEC to disclose where Amupitan was, when he left Abuja, the reason for his absence and who authorised it. It also asked the commission to clarify whether he had travelled outside Nigeria and, if so, disclose his official engagements.

Tanko also called for clarification on whether Amupitan had met or was scheduled to meet President Bola Tinubu, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) or any representative of the ruling party.

He said the questions were important given INEC’s constitutional responsibility to conduct elections and the need to maintain public confidence ahead of the 2027 polls.

“As Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 general elections, the INEC Chairman cannot operate in secrecy,” Tanko said.

The movement also questioned what it described as Amupitan’s alleged “antecedents and strong affection for the APC”, and called on INEC to demonstrate transparency and political neutrality.

“The era of the INEC Chairman having strategy meetings with the APC and the ruling party must be a thing of the past,” Tanko said.

“Nigerians do not trust this INEC Chairman or the Commission he leads, so it behoves him and the Commission to not only be transparent and non-partisan, but to also be seen as such.”

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At least eight passengers have reportedly drowned after two speed boats collided in the waters around Tikoro area near Cameroon.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of September 6, 2026, when a W23 speed boat carrying 13 Nigerian passengers from Ikang in Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State towards the Republic of Cameroon collided with another W23 speed boat fitted with two Yamaha engines.

According to reports, the boat was travelling through Cameroonian territorial waters when the collision occurred.

Five passengers were reportedly rescued alive with the assistance of local fishermen in Cameroon, while eight others were feared drowned.

The bodies of those feared drowned were later recovered and brought to Simon Beach in Ikang, Bakassi LGA.

Confirming the incident, the Cross River State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, said the Marine Police had been directed to ensure the proper identification of the recovered bodies by their respective families.

He said the bodies would subsequently be deposited at the morgue as the police continued investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“The Command is also liaising with relevant authorities and affected families as efforts continue to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident,” Akata said.

He assured that the command would provide further information as more verified details become available.

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities has called on the Federal Government and state governments to substantially increase funding for education, saying inadequate investment is undermining research, public universities and Nigeria’s ability to compete in the global knowledge economy.

The ASUU President, Prof Christopher Piwuna, made the demand on Wednesday during an interview on Eagle 102.5 FM’s Frontline, where he spoke on the implementation of the agreement reached between the Federal Government and the university lecturers’ union in December 2025.

Piwuna said ASUU had advocated the allocation of up to 26 per cent of government budgets to education, stressing that funding the sector should be regarded as an investment in Nigeria’s future rather than an expenditure to be sacrificed whenever governments face competing demands.

He, however, disclosed that the union eventually reached a compromise with the Federal Government on 15 per cent, acknowledging the financial difficulties associated with immediately meeting the 26 per cent benchmark. According to him, the 15 per cent agreement was expected to provide a foundation for progressively increasing education funding.

“Every government should at least aim to supply or to fund their budget or dedicate their budget up to 26 percent to education, and Nigeria is not an exception,” Piwuna said.

The ASUU president also linked improved funding to the development of research and public universities, saying the December 2025 agreement contained provisions for university funding, improved salaries and the establishment or strengthening of a research council, among other commitments.

Piwuna said Nigeria could not build universities capable of producing globally competitive knowledge without sustained investment in research, warning that inadequate funding would continue to limit the capacity of academics and institutions to contribute meaningfully to national development.

He expressed concern that months after the December agreement was signed, the union was still engaging the government over unresolved aspects of the pact. Piwuna said ASUU had expected the agreement to usher in greater stability in the university system and shift attention from recurring disputes to academic development.

According to him, inconsistent implementation of the agreement had continued to affect universities, particularly in the payment of salaries and the application of the new salary structure. He said some institutions had allegedly been forced to embark on industrial action before salary-related issues were addressed, while some universities were yet to benefit from the new salary structure.

Piwuna said the responsibility for developing university education should not be left to the Federal Government alone, noting that state governments also had important roles to play because of the large number of state-owned universities. He said ASUU had engaged the Minister of Education and the Chairman of the committee monitoring the implementation of the Federal Government agreement, Senator Larry Tejuosho, over the outstanding issues.

The ASUU president urged political leaders to make education a sustained national priority, arguing that adequate funding, effective implementation of agreements and stronger support for research were essential to developing human capital, promoting innovation and positioning Nigerian universities to contribute to the country’s economic development.