This Week in Nigerian Politics

With the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise set to close on July 26, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has intensified public awareness across Ebonyi State.

Instead of waiting for residents to come to its offices, INEC officials moved into busy public spaces including the Abakaliki Rice Mill, Kpirikpiri Market and major transport terminals, urging eligible Nigerians to register or update their voter records before the deadline. The commission also reminded citizens that a Permanent Voter Card (PVC) remains the gateway to participating in elections.

The campaign reflects a challenge INEC faces almost every election cycle: thousands of Nigerians wait until the final days before registering.

The bigger issue isn't just registration.

It's participation.

Nigeria continues to struggle with low voter turnout, especially among young people. While registration figures often look encouraging, turnout on election day tells a different story.

For INEC, increasing the number of registered voters is only the first step. Convincing those voters to actually show up on election day remains the harder task.

Politics in Osun State has taken another legal turn.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of issuing directives concerning the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) that it says are inconsistent with the Nigerian Constitution.

The disagreement is the latest in a series of political battles between both camps as tensions continue ahead of political activities in the state.

Beyond the legal arguments, the dispute highlights a recurring issue in Nigerian politics: the influence of transport unions.

For decades, organisations like the NURTW have been more than transport associations. They control motor parks, generate significant daily revenue and often play an important role during election periods.

That is why disputes involving transport unions rarely remain just about transportation.

They almost always become political.

Whether the courts eventually agree with the APC or not, the case once again raises questions about the limits of executive powers and how state governments interact with influential non-state organisations.

President Bola Tinubu has approved one of the biggest structural changes to the Nigerian Army in recent years.

The Federal Government will expand the Army from eight divisions to twelve while recruiting 28,000 additional personnel as part of efforts to strengthen the country's security architecture. Four new divisions will be established in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City, with implementation taking place in phases through the end of 2026.

The announcement comes as Nigeria continues to battle multiple security challenges at the same time.

Insurgency persists in the North-East.

Banditry and kidnappings remain widespread across parts of the North-West.

Communal conflicts continue in the Middle Belt, while separatist tensions have not completely disappeared in the South-East.

Expanding the Army isn't simply about increasing troop numbers.

The government is betting that bringing military leadership closer to operational areas, improving command structures and investing in equipment and troop welfare will improve response times and overall effectiveness.

Whether the expansion translates into better security on the ground is what Nigerians will be watching closely over the coming months.

The Presidency has responded strongly after reports that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar wrote to U.S. President Donald Trump and members of the U.S. Congress concerning President Bola Tinubu.

According to the Presidency, Atiku's actions were politically motivated and an attempt to damage Nigeria's international image. The exchange adds another chapter to the long-running rivalry between both political figures, who are expected to remain central players as attention gradually shifts toward the 2027 elections.

Political disagreements are nothing new.

What makes this episode different is the attempt to internationalise the dispute.

Rather than limiting criticism to Nigeria's political space, the conversation has now extended to foreign governments and international institutions.

Whether that strategy strengthens Atiku's political position or simply deepens partisan divisions remains to be seen.