Former Zamfara State Governor and Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Abdulaziz Yari, has challenged Ekiti residents to deliver at least 800,000 votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Yari made the appeal on Thursday during the APC campaign rally in Ekiti State, where he urged residents to increase their support for Tinubu, insisting that the President had performed well and deserved a second term.

Speaking at the rally, which was monitored on television by our correspondent, Yari said the Tinubu administration had not neglected Ekiti, citing investments in education, road infrastructure, youth development and women’s empowerment.

“Asiwaju has not forgotten the people of Ekiti. He has done his best by introducing schools and universities, constructing roads, providing educational support to youths and empowering women, among other initiatives,” he said.

Yari urged Ekiti residents not to allow what he described as the achievements of the Tinubu administration to go to waste.

“The labour of this great democrat cannot be allowed to go in vain,” he added.

Tinubu is seeking re-election in the January 16, 2027, presidential election, as scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has defended the high cost of billboard advertising in Abuja, insisting that political campaigns are expensive globally and that parties should explore alternative. platforms, including social media, to reach voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Wike made the remarks during his monthly media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday, following complaints by opposition parties over the rising cost of securing billboard spaces in the nation’s capital.

Some opposition parties have expressed concerns that the increasing charges for prominent billboard locations in Abuja could restrict their ability to publicise candidates and campaign messages, potentially creating difficulties for parties with limited financial resources.

However, the FCT minister dismissed suggestions that the charges were intended to disadvantage opposition parties, explaining that the increase was part of the administration’s revenue-generation efforts.

According to him, political parties should recognise the financial demands of electioneering and take advantage of digital platforms to communicate with their supporters.

“Politics is expensive all over the world,” Wike said, adding that parties could use their social media platforms to campaign.

The minister maintained that the FCT administration was interested in generating revenue through billboard advertising, particularly during periods when demand for advertising spaces increases.

“We want money. The FCT wants money, and part of us making money is through the billboards to raise our revenue.

“If we know that in a given time, people will rush the billboard and authority feel that we will raise the funds to make more money,” he said.

Wike insisted that the charges were not introduced to target any political party, stressing that the revenue generated would be channelled into infrastructure development and improved public services across the territory.
“The authority did not raise funds against you, because it is you.

“I am going to use the money to do more roads, to improve the schools,” he stated.

The former Rivers State governor also questioned the significance opposition parties attached to billboard advertising, arguing that the medium alone could not determine the outcome of an election.

He suggested that political parties should focus on broader campaign strategies rather than relying heavily on outdoor advertising to secure electoral support.

“For Christ’s sake, a billboard does not win an election; how many people in the villages know about the billboard?” he said.

Addressing concerns about unequal access to campaign advertising platforms, Wike noted that political parties and other organisations also pay substantial amounts to secure premium advertising slots in media organisations.

He further explained that the FCT administration was not responsible for determining which individuals or organisations secured billboard spaces, maintaining that advertisers could make advance payments to reserve preferred locations.

“People go and pay a year ahead for billboards, ‘how will I know?’ ‘My business is not going to ask, who and who paid for the billboard; I have no business there,” he said.

Wike also challenged opposition parties alleging discrimination in the allocation or pricing of billboard spaces to formally approach the FCT administration with their complaints.

He insisted that no political party or representative had personally brought the matter to his attention.

“Let them complain to us; no one has complained to us. Nobody has complained to me,” he said.

The controversy over billboard advertising costs comes as political parties begin preparations for the 2027 general elections, with access to campaign platforms, media visibility and funding expected to feature prominently in political activities ahead of the polls.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected the Federal High Court judgment nullifying the leadership of its National Working Committee (NWC), led by former Senate President David Mark, and invalidating the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.

The opposition party described the judgment as a threat to democratic participation, insisting that it would challenge the decision through every available judicial process.

The ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, disclosed the party’s position in a statement issued on Thursday, questioning the timing and implications of the ruling amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 elections.

In the statement titled, ‘Lifu Judgment: APC Wants to Set Nigeria on Fire’, the party argued that the judgment could affect thousands of its members seekineg elective positions across the country.Another lawyer representing the plaintiff, Luka Musa Haruna (SAN), said the decision effectively left the ADC without candidates for the 2027 presidential, governorship, National Assembly and state assembly elections.

The ADC’s planned appeal is expected to determine the next legal steps in the leadership dispute and its implications for the party’s participation in the 2027 general elections.