Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), , has called on the international community to support efforts to ensure free, fair, transparent and credible elections in Nigeria.

Obi, a former governor of Anambra state, made the call on Thursday after meeting with the new British High Commissioner to Nigeria and his delegation at the Commissioner’s residence in Abuja.

According to Obi, in a statement shared on his X handle, discussions at the meeting focused on governance, the welfare of Nigerians and the forthcoming elections.

He said his appeal to the international community was not for support for any  political party or candidate but for the protection of Nigerians’ democratic rights.

“Our appeal to the international community is not for support for any particular candidate or political party. It is for something far more fundamental: the protection of the Nigerian people’s democratic right to freely choose their leaders through free, fair, transparent and credible elections, Obi stated.”

He stressed that democracy should reflect the choices and aspirations of the people, urging foreign partners to continue promoting accountability and respect for the people’s mandate.

“Democracy must be about the people, their choices and their future,” he said.

Obi also encouraged the international community to continue standing with Nigerians, insisting that the outcome of elections must reflect the genuine will of the electorate.

The NDC candidate further said he congratulated the British High Commissioner and the people of the United Kingdom on the occasion of the birthday of King Charles III.

1. The crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress leadership deepened on Thursday after the Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the National Working Committee led by former Senate President, David Mark, in a ruling that also invalidated the process that produced former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.

The judgment, delivered by Justice Peter Lifu, also nullified the emergence of former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, as National Secretary, and other decisions taken by the Mark-led leadership, including the nomination of candidates for elective offices. The court further ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission not to recognise or act on decisions taken at the party’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting of July 27, 2025.

2. African Democratic Congress (Adc) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar lacks what it takes to challenge President Bola Ahmed Ahmed Tinubu in the January 16, 2027 election, Vice President Kashim Shettima, said yesterday. He described Atiku’s  political influence as totally down, beginning with his Adamawa home state. According to him, in the Ekiti and Osun recent governorship elections, Atiku’s ADC performed abysmally, which is another piece of evidence of the former Vice President’s lack of political influence.

3. The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), has said the armed forces will gradually withdraw from internal security duties as the Nigeria Police Force builds its capacity.
Musa spoke at the APC Abuja Roundtable in Abuja on Thursday. He said the military’s growing role in police affairs reflected declining confidence in the police, adding that the constitution allows the military to step in when situations exceed the police’s capacity, but admitted the current level of involvement was excessive

4. US President Donald Trump has blamed the stock market’s sharp decline on the electoral victories recorded by the opposition Democratic Party in the midterm elections earlier this week. Trump made the accusation on Thursday in a post on his Truth Social platform, following a sharp selloff in US equities.

5. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the political support behind Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, saying the wave that propelled him in the 2023 election no longer exists. Wike also described Obi as a dramatist, insisting that the former Anambra State governor had nothing to offer Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general election.

6. The factional National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, Nafiu Bala Gombe, has commended the Federal High Court for what he described as its independent, impartial and courageous handling of the party’s leadership dispute. Bala, in a statement on Thursday reacting to the judgment in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, involving him, the ADC and four others, praised the trial judge for determining the case based on constitutional and statutory provisions rather than political considerations.

7. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has raised concerns over the increasing involvement of South African nationals in international drug trafficking. The agency said three South Africans had been arrested in recent operations, with large quantities of heroin, cocaine and synthetic cannabis, popularly known as Loud, recovered from them.

8. A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday fixed December 7, 2026, for the trial of six alleged coup plotters who were arrested by the security operatives following the botched exercise. The court fixed the date after it dismissed the objections of the alleged coup plotters against the admission of their statements and video recordings made to the military during their interrogation.

9. The Zone XI Command of the Nigeria Police Force said on Thursday that its operatives involved in the raid on a hostel occupied by some students of the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State, had been detained as an investigation into the incident commenced. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Olanrewaju Ojedele, disclosed this on Thursday, adding that the command had commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

10. Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has acknowledged worsening electricity supply disruptions in Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Kwara and Oyo states, as the Federal Government moves to recover abandoned power equipment, beginning with the clearance of 44 containers from Apapa ports in Lagos. The minister said the affected areas had recently recorded noticeable improvements in electricity supply before the latest disruptions.

Musiliu Akinsanya, better known as MC Oluomo, president of the national union of road transport workers, has revealed that he is currently taking English lessons to improve his efficiency in the language.

The NURTW boss made the revelation at a political rally in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, where he addressed actor Adams Kehinde, better known as Lege Miami.

Speaking in Yoruba, the union leader said he and Lege Miami both struggle to speak English fluently, which is why he decided to enrol in classes.

“Lege, you and I have something in common because my English is also not fluent. We are both not fluent in English. But I’m working on improving my English. I’m now attending lessons,” he said.

MC Oluomo also dismissed the notion that his frequent travels should have made him fluent, stressing that his American citizenship gives him unrestricted entry into the United States.

“I travel around the world. I am a citizen of America. When I get to immigration, and they ask how many weeks I want to stay, I tell them no, this is my home. I am a US citizen; I am going home,” he stated.

He went on to praise his children, noting that they speak English better than he does.

“My children can speak better than me. My children in the US are nurses, a doctor and an engineer,” he said.

“If I get somewhere and cannot speak English well, I will give the microphone to one of my children,” he added.

The remark came over a year after MC Oluomo was mocked online in April 2025 for pronouncing “kudos” as “kundusi” during an event in Abuja.