馃嚦馃嚞NigeriaWest Africa
Peter Obi questions leaders' 'sound mind' after filling INEC nomination form
via Punch Nigeria9 min read
Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, has questioned the priorities of Nigeria's political leaders, stating that the country's security and economic challenges should take precedence over political activities. Obi made these remarks after completing his Independent National Electoral Commission nomination form. He reflected on a question in the form asking if a candidate had ever been declared of unsound mind, prompting him to assess the quality of leadership. The former Anambra State governor highlighted widespread insecurity, hunger, and alleged diversion of public funds, arguing that these issues demand urgent attention. Obi emphasized that a sound-minded leadership would declare these challenges a national emergency and mobilize all relevant institutions to confront them. He also called on INEC to publish academic certificates and credentials submitted by candidates to strengthen transparency and public confidence in the electoral process, asserting that transparency builds democracy and trust. His comments come as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC announced that 1,565,873 Nigerians have completed their voter registration as of June 26, marking the end of the seventh week of Phase III of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise. This figure includes 620,933 online pre-registrations and 944,940 physical registrations. These statistics are preliminary and will undergo data clean-up and an Automated Biometric Identification System ABIS deployment. Kano State recorded the highest number of registrants with 118,207, followed by Lagos with 78,360, and Delta with 76,395. Voter registration was temporarily suspended in Ekiti and Osun states due to gubernatorial elections. Female registrants accounted for 52.45% 821,276 of the total, while male registrants made up 47.55% 744,597. Youths aged 18 to 34 constituted the largest age group, with 1,082,985 registrants 69.16%. Students formed the largest occupational group among new registrants, with 384,093, followed by business owners 333,539 and those in farming or fishing 273,627. Additionally, 18,919 Persons with Disabilities PWDs registered during this period. INEC encouraged eligible citizens to register via its online portal or designated physical centers.
Nearly 1,400 illegal websites streaming unauthorized 2026 FIFA World Cup matches have lost access to advertising revenue as part of efforts to combat digital piracy. This action, orchestrated by the Trustworthy Accountability Group TAG, a non-profit established by the global advertising industry, aims to disrupt illegal broadcasts. The move follows the U.S. Department of Justice's "Operation Offsides," which seized almost 400 sites streaming pirated World Cup content. The objective is to cut off crucial revenue streams for these illicit platforms, making it harder for them to operate during the 2026 FIFA tournament hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Illegal streams have become prevalent as fans seek free alternatives to official broadcasts, which often involve high subscription costs or geo-restrictions. TAG's intervention targets ad networks that fund piracy through placements on these sites. This crackdown reflects broader concerns over intellectual property theft in sports broadcasting, as unauthorized streams undermine multi-billion-dollar rights deals and can affect the quality and funding of the game. Online reactions have been mixed, with some fans advocating for universal availability of games and others finding the strict monitoring boring. Authorities continue to monitor new sites attempting to fill the void, and fans are advised to use legitimate platforms to support the sport and avoid risks like malware or legal repercussions associated with ill
Russia announced on Tuesday that its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 419 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles overnight, including some in the Moscow region. Following a drone strike on a private house in the village of Yevgoryevsk, southwest of Moscow, a six-month-old baby died en route to the hospital. Two adults and another child were hospitalized. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that 61 "enemy drones" had been shot down over the capital since Monday evening. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed his forces struck the Dubna space communications center in the Moscow region for the second time in a week, describing it as a satellite communications facility used for reconnaissance and coordinating Russian occupation forces in Ukraine. Zelensky refers to these attacks deep inside Russia as "long-range sanctions" and fair retaliation for Moscow's daily barrages against Ukraine. This incident follows Russia's report of shooting down 660 Ukrainian drones between Thursday and Friday, and a Ukrainian attack that caused a fire at a refinery southeast of Moscow last week.