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The Big Story
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Supreme Court Restores Electoral Act Rules on Party Membership Registers and Primaries
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The Supreme Court restored four provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 that the Court of Appeal had struck down, ruling on Thursday that Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) do not conflict with the 1999 Constitution. The seven-member panel, led by Justice Adamu Jauro, allowed an appeal by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and awarded NGN2 million in costs against the Zenith Labour Party. Under the restored rules, only members on a register filed with INEC at least 21 days before a primary can take part, a party must use that register, and a party that misses the filing deadline cannot field a candidate. Section 84(2) limits nominations to direct primaries or consensus. Lawyers caution that the ruling does not automatically disqualify anyone, since each nomination will be tested on its own facts. Lawyer P.D. Pius argues it could also block politicians who switch parties shortly before a primary without meeting the registration rules. [Guardian]
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What Else Is Happening
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Atiku Approves Campaign Council, Names El-Rufai Deputy Chairman
African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar approved a National Campaign Council chaired by Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, with former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai as deputy chairman. Senator Austin Akobundu will manage the campaign and Dele Momodu will head media. Spokesman Phrank Shaibu said the structure is deliberately lean, with six directorates and 30 directors, not built around titles and patronage. [Channels Television]
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Plateau Records 469 Suspected Diphtheria Cases and 31 Deaths
Plateau State has recorded 469 suspected diphtheria cases and 31 deaths since early 2026, across 10 of its 17 local government areas. Health Commissioner Nicholas Ba’amlong said 160,000 children have been vaccinated and cases are declining. Some affected children were unvaccinated or had not finished their schedule, he said, and the state has asked the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) for more vaccines. [Premium Times]
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Nigeria Repatriates 105 More Citizens From South Africa
A batch of 105 Nigerians, 82 adults and 23 children, landed in Lagos on Thursday, taking evacuations since xenophobic attacks began in April to about 1,640. The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) paid for 100 tickets from a donation of over $265,854 meant to evacuate 500 people, and a private citizen paid for the other five. At least five Nigerians have been killed since the violence began. [Premium Times]
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Resident Doctors Give Federal Government Two-Week Ultimatum
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) gave the federal government two weeks to act on unmet demands or risk industrial action, at its annual general meeting in Calabar on Sunday. It wants agreements on pay, career progression and allowances implemented, plus compensation for excess workload from manpower shortages. NARD also raised concern over attacks on health workers and doctors leaving Nigeria. [TheCable]
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Air Peace Blames Jet A1 Shortage for Abuja Flight Disruptions
Air Peace said Abuja airport delays came from a shortage of Jet A1 aviation fuel that also hit other airlines, and its Abuja to Maiduguri flight was then cancelled after the Maiduguri tower limited operations to daylight hours. Stranded passengers got hotel rooms and the flight was rescheduled for the next day. The airline cut Abuja to London flights to three a week in April over the same fuel constraint. [Nairametrics]
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Market Watch
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The naira strengthened to NGN1,329.51 per dollar on 25 September from NGN1,475.00 on 31 December 2025, a 9.86% fall in the rate. [CBN] Weekly turnover on the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) fell 17.7% to $2.25bn, a second straight weekly decline. [Nairametrics]
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The NGX All-Share Index rose 62.01% to 252,113.41 on 25 September from 155,613.03 at the end of 2025. [NGX Group] It edged down 0.015% on Friday, with 39 stocks gaining against 27 decliners, and the NGX Banking Index fell 0.69% to 2,721.83 points. Market capitalisation stood at NGN163.66trn. [Nairametrics]
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Nigeria’s total public debt rose 4.67% to NGN166.79trn at 30 June 2026 from NGN159.35trn at 31 March, the Debt Management Office (DMO) reported. Domestic debt makes up NGN91.59trn, or 54.91% of the total, and the stock equals $120.93bn at the official rate of NGN1,379.18 per dollar. Total debt has nearly doubled from NGN87.38trn in June 2023, a 90.9% increase. [Nairametrics]
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Quick Hits
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| → Five miners were shot dead and two injured at a mining site in Marit village, Barkin Ladi, Plateau State, on Saturday, days after the state imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in three local government areas. [Daily Trust] |
| → Nigeria and Cameroon expect to finish demarcating their 2,100km border in two to three months, nearly 24 years after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the dispute. National Boundary Commission chief Adamu Adaji said over 260 pillars remain in Adamawa. [Premium Times] |
| → Osinachi Ohale retired from the Super Falcons after 16 years, ending an international career of 86 caps, four Women’s World Cups and five African titles. The 34-year-old defender said she leaves with “no regrets, only gratitude.” [Premium Times] |
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On a Lighter Note
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Nollywood crime thriller Black Market set a Guinness World Record on Saturday, drawing over 51,000 moviegoers to Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos for the most-attended single-location film screening ever. That beat the 2015 record of 43,624 by more than 16%. The film now heads to cinemas nationwide. [BellaNaija]
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Why It Matters
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The Supreme Court ruling matters most because it changes how the 2027 race will be run before a single vote is cast. Parties now have to file their member lists early and stick to them, so disputes that used to erupt on primary day are likely to move to the paperwork and the courts. That may explain why the ADC is already naming a full campaign team. But campaigns are being built while everyday services are stretched. Doctors are threatening to stop work, an airline is blaming fuel shortages for stranded passengers, and a growing debt bill raises questions about how much room any government has to say yes to voters. Those are the pressures candidates will be asked about. The market mood is calmer, with the naira steady and stocks near record levels, though that comfort depends on investors staying patient. What to watch is whether the promises made in the coming months come with a plan to pay for them, and whether the new party rules are applied the same way to every party.
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Around the Community
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Wishing our reader Tunde Akinyemi a very happy birthday, from all of us at Frontier Brief Media.
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Produced with AI assistance using open-source web content. Sources have not been independently verified by Frontier Brief Media. Readers are encouraged to consult original sources before acting on any information herein.
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