Morning recap: States owe N5.3tn debt, INEC fears AI disinformation threat, other top stories

Nigeria wakes to major concerns over mounting subnational debt as 12 governors approach the end of their tenures, while INEC raises the alarm over AI-powered disinformation ahead of the 2027 elections.

Federal workers are demanding a N300,000 minimum wage amid rising living costs, the House of Representatives is probing a suspected fake government agency linked to dozens of bank accounts and an alleged N400m transaction, while FCT Minister Nyesom Wike says a Tinubu defeat in 2027 could make him a political target of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.

Below are the details of these trending stories and others:

States owe N5.3tn as 12 governors near exit

Twelve governors approaching the end of their constitutionally permitted tenures are set to leave their states with a combined debt burden of about N5.3tn, raising concerns about the fiscal challenges their successors may inherit.

The report examines the debt profiles of the affected states and the implications of rising domestic and external obligations for incoming administrations.

With the countdown to 2027 already shaping political calculations, the issue has renewed attention on fiscal discipline, borrowing and the sustainability of state finances.

Read here: https://punchng.com/tenure-countdown-states-owe-n5-3tn-as-12-govs-near-exit/

INEC fears AI-powered disinformation ahead of 2027

The Independent National Electoral Commission has warned that artificial intelligence-driven disinformation could pose a serious threat to the credibility of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the growing sophistication of generative AI had made manipulated videos, audio recordings and images cheaper to produce and increasingly difficult to detect.

The commission is conducting an audit of its electoral technology systems and is also considering a mock presidential election to test accreditation, result transmission and result viewing ahead of the polls.

Read here: https://punchng.com/2027-poll-inec-fears-ai-powered-disinformation/

Reps uncover 58 accounts in fake agency probe

The House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council has uncovered about 58 bank accounts allegedly linked to its detained Director-General, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi.

The committee is also probing an alleged N400m transaction said to have involved representations that a contract could be secured for the renovation or furnishing of a purported official residence.

Lawmakers said preliminary findings suggested that the organisation was never lawfully established, while stressing that investigations were ongoing and the findings did not amount to a determination of criminal guilt.

Read here: https://punchng.com/fake-agency-reps-uncover-58-accounts-probe-n400m-deal/

Workers demand N300,000 minimum wage

Federal workers under the aegis of the Federal Workers Forum have demanded an immediate review of salaries and an increase in the national minimum wage from N70,000 to N300,000.

The workers, in a letter to President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly, argued that the current wage structure no longer reflected the prevailing economic realities and rising cost of living.

The forum also proposed a maximum salary of N1.5m for Level 17 officers as part of a comprehensive review of federal civil servants’ remuneration.

Read here: https://punchng.com/workers-demand-n300000-minimum-wage/

Atiku, Obi will target me if Tinubu loses, says Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, says he would become a major political target of opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, if President Bola Tinubu loses the 2027 presidential election.

Wike, who has remained a member of the Peoples Democratic Party while openly supporting Tinubu, said his political posture had left him personally exposed should the President fail to secure a second term.

The former Rivers State governor also insisted that he would not remain passive as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections, saying he would continue to engage politically with his supporters.

Read here: https://punchng.com/if-tinubu-loses-atiku-obi-will-target-me-wike/