The Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, has said that the forthcoming Anambra Governorship Election will be the first major test for the newly confirmed Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Joash Amupitan.
Itodo, in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, said that despite Professor Amupitan’s credentials and experience reflecting capacity and intellect, his real test begins once he assumes duty on electoral matters.
“Based on his credentials, he has the capacity. Does he have the mental stamina and ability? It is clear from today that he does.
“But this is a screening; when he gets into office, he is going to face a major test. The first major test is the Anambra election, which is only a few weeks away,” Itodo stated.
Anambra State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo
The Anambra Governorship Election will be held on November 8, 2025, and is expected to involve about 2.8 million voters and 16 political parties.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo (APGA) will seek re-election against Nicholas Ukachukwu (APC), George Moghalu (Labour Party) and other contenders.
READ ALSO: I Never Represented Tinubu At 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Court — Amupitan
The YIAGA Africa director said that the senate screening had shown that the law professor possesses the capacity and integrity to lead the electoral body, but must now demonstrate courage and independence in office.
“To the best of our knowledge, there hasn’t been any petition written questioning his integrity. So, to a large extent, you can say that this individual has the moral standing and integrity to hold this office,” he said.
‘Independence To Sanction Bad Eggs’
Itodo urged the new INEC Chairman to assert his independence by ensuring corrupt officials face the full weight of the law, emphasising that integrity must permeate every level of the commission.
“He must assert independence and make bad eggs face the full wrath of the law. INEC is not about Prof. Amupitan alone. There are 12 national commissioners, 37 resident electoral commissioners, and 774 electoral officers.
“If they do not cooperate with the vision set by the chairman, and politicians compromise them, we will be back to ground zero,” he warned.
Amupitan was confirmed by the Senate after over two hours of questioning on October 16, 2025.
The YIAGA Africa director added that Amupitan would need more than personal integrity to manage the commission effectively.
“Having worked on elections for two decades, I can tell you he is going to need more than that in engaging INEC officials. The question is how to hold complicit officials to account, especially when some are bought over by politicians in power,” he said.
Despite commending the Senate for its robust screening, Itodo lamented that Nigerians missed an opportunity to hear the chairman’s vision on electoral reform.
“What the Senate and Nigeria actually lost was the opportunity to hear him speak to the nation about questions related to electoral justice,” he said.
Vow To ‘Review Electoral Act’
Earlier on Thursday, the Senate confirmed Amupitan as the new Chairman of the INEC after an intense two-hour screening session.
At the screening, the chairman vowed to “reform Nigeria’s electoral process to ensure credible polls where losers accept results as fair.”
He promised to “review the Electoral Act to fix timeline inconsistencies” and also denied links to any 2023 election legal teams.
The 58-year-old law professor was nominated by President Bola Tinubu and received formal endorsement from the National Council of State last week. He succeeds Mahmood Yakubu and becomes the sixth substantive INEC chairman.
A file photo of INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu
Other elections on the horizon under the new chairman’s belt include the FCT Area Council Election (February 2026), the Ekiti Governorship Election (June 2026), and the Osun Governorship Election (August 2026).
Footage shows Palestinians in Gaza City clearing debris from their destroyed homes after returning under the ceasefire. Gaza City resident Ahmad Saleh Sbeih said his 250 square metre apartment “could collapse at any moment.” “It’s better than the street,” he said.
“There is a killer prowling the Caribbean, bloodthirsty, looking for wars.” Venezuela’s ambassador to the UN accused the United States of seeking a coup in the Latin American country, after its strikes on small boats and President Trump’s authorisation for CIA activities there.
Naked Gun star Ed Williams has died. His granddaughter, Stephanie Williams, confirmed that he died on October 2.
She revealed that Williams, who played Ted Olson in ABC’s Police Squad, died aged 98 in Los Angeles. Williams, born Edwin Wallace Williams on November 26, 1926, he died just days after his former Father of the Bride co-star Diane Katon, who died aged 79.
Before moving to LA in 1955, Williams had a successful career in theatre and radio productions. He later began teaching speech classes at LA City College, which led to his casting as Olson on ABC’s Police Squad!
In a 2017 interview with Matthew Worley of the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters, Williams reflected on his career, stating: “I made up for lost time and got a fairly decent part to start coming back into acting.” Police Squad! first hit the screens in March 1982 with a series of six episodes, before transitioning to Paramount Pictures with The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear and Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult.
Ed (left) died in Los Angeles, his granddaughter ha confirmed ( Paramount)
There was a staggering 24-year period when Ed didn’t audition for any roles, stating: “I do not approve of professors that go out and moonlight and make a lot of money on the side and neglect their classes. That used to make me mad to hear that.”
As his teaching schedule began to free up, the actor seized the chance to plunge back into the industry. “I felt like the [guy] who’s been trained to be a surgeon, but he didn’t quite get in the operating room. I wanted to get in the operating room.”
Fans have since taken to social media to pay tribute, with one writing: “RIP Naked Gun’s Ted!” A second added: “#RIP Ed Williams, perfect as lab scientist Ted Olson on ‘Police Squad!’ and the original ‘Naked Gun’ films. As a teacher, he had put aside acting for 24 years. ‘I do not approve of professors who go out and moonlight and neglect their classes,’ he said.”
“Rest in peace, Mr. Williams,” commented another. Ed’s co-star Diane died from pneumonia, it was recently revealed. The Annie Hall actress passed away on 11 October at the age of 79 and her family have now revealed her cause of death in a new statement, in which they thanked fans for their “extraordinary” messages of support.
Diane’s family told People magazine: “The Keaton family are very grateful for the extraordinary messages of love and support they have received these past few days on behalf of their beloved Diane, who passed away from pneumonia on October 11.”
The family suggested those who wanted to pay tribute to the Godfather star could make a donation to one of her favourite causes.
They added: “She loved her animals and she was steadfast in her support of the unhoused community, so any donations in her memory to a local food bank or an animal shelter would be a wonderful and much appreciated tribute to her.”
It was previously reported that Diane’s health had “declined very suddenly” before her death. A source told People magazine: “She declined very suddenly, which was heartbreaking for everyone who loved her.
“It was so unexpected, especially for someone with such strength and spirit. In her final months, she was surrounded only by her closest family, who chose to keep things very private. Even longtime friends weren’t fully aware of what was happening.”
In March, Diane put her “dream home” in Brentwood, California, up for sale, despite previously vowing to stay there forever, and she was no longer regularly seen in the area walking her dogs.
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While in Israeli detention, Palestinian photojournalist Shadi Abu Sido was told his wife and children had been killed in Gaza. But when he was released under the ceasefire deal, he discovered they were alive.
Corrie actor Jimmi Harkishin has been on the cobbles for 26 years. But did you know he modelled his characted on a famous sports player turned prime minister?
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Jimmi Harkishin has been playing Dev on Corrie for 26 years.(Image: ITV)
Fancying himself as a suave ladies’ man, Corrie corner shop entrepreneur Dev Alahan has been entertaining everyone from his kids to the women he woos as his character Dev Alahan – and there have been many- for more than a quarter of a century.
Actor Jimmi Harkishin’s comic timing – especially since his romance and marriage to crystal-loving Bernie Winters (Jane Hazlegrove) – is supreme. And now, in a hilarious interview, Jimmi reveals how he modelled Corrie’s golf-loving Dev on former “Lion of Lahore” Imran Khan.
Not at all happy with the soap team’s vision of Dev as a Brummie businessman, he decided to add his own unique glamour to the smooth-talking character, by modelling him on then Pakistan cricket hero Khan – turned Pakistan Prime Minister, who is now in jail for corruption.
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Jimmi, 60, tells The Mirror: “When Dev first joined the show I got this breakdown which said, ‘Dev was born in Birmingham, went to Birmingham University. I then got the script and a week before I am due to film I get all method on myself. I did the accent but thought ‘I can’t do it like that. I can’t do it like I am from Birmingham. I can’t do it. It is not cool.’ Anyone from Birmingham I apologise, but I could not do it.
“I started panicking and asked if I could have a word with the producer Jane Macnaught, who gave me the job. I just thought I could not do all this ‘ducking and diving’ stuff. At the time, there was this sportsman and all the women thought he was dead hot and he was Imran Khan, the Lion of Lahore. He was the captain of the Pakistan cricket team and he had this mane of black hair and used to whack the balls out of the park.
“He used to talk with like a Bombay chic accent. So I went to see Jane and I started talking like that and she said ‘What are you doing?’ This is true. And I said ‘Birmingham? Imran Khan, Lion of Lahore….fantastic. He is drop dead gorgeous.’ But the producer said ‘If I wanted to hire Imran Khan I would have cast him’. She said to me ‘Go home and do what you want with the character,’ And now, 25 years later, I am still at it.”
Thankfully, Jimmi’s portrayal of wacky ladies man Dev has been a hit with Corrie’s army of fans ever since his first appearance on the show back in November 1999. His arrival marked a turning point in his career, having previously enjoyed life on the stage and cameos in hit TV shows such as Casualty, Medics, Jonathan Creek and The Bill.
And Jimmi hit the ground running. His portrayal of lothario Dev won him an army of fans, including the late Queen Elizabeth II, who once left him speechless when he was invited to a gala evening at Buckingham Palace. Jimmi says: “I once got invited to the Palace. I asked the Corrie press office if anyone else had been invited and they said it was just me. There was a phone number on the invite and it turned out to be the Master of Ceremonies and he said ‘The (late) Queen and Prince Phillip request your company’.
“I did not know what to say other than ‘Where do I park?’ They sent a police escort to drop me off at the front of the Palace. I went into the throne room but there were no other actors. It was for about four hours. I was introduced to Prince Phillip and he said ‘Are you one of us…or one of them?’ I said ‘I am one of them’ and he said ‘So am I.’ And I am still waiting for my knighthood guys.”
According to the actor, royalty are not the only people he has impressed. Jimmi, who was born in Paris to an Indian father and Italian mother, came face to face with the Mission Impossible and Superman star Henry Cavill during a random day out once in the French capital, as he sat quietly one day enjoying a coffee along the River Seine.
He laughs: “I am just going to make some space for the names I am about to drop. Dev is known around the world. How do you know you have arrived? Well, a few years ago I was in Paris and it was a beautiful spring afternoon and I was sitting having a cafe au lait and my friend said ‘Jim, who is the guy behind you? He looks really familiar’.
“I looked and I saw it was the guy who plays Superman. I just thought ‘be cool and say nothing’. Then, after about five minutes, Clark Kent paid the bill and as he left he went ‘Alright Dev?’ When Superman knows who you are, you know you have done it.”
And, although he never made it to Hollywood himself, Jimmi says he played a small part in Oscar winner Denzel Washington’s success. Back in 1988, the pair starred together in the movie For Queen & Country, which saw Washington play Reuben James, a black British former Falklands paratrooper, who joins the Army to escape the poverty of inner city London.
But, although Jimmi only enjoyed a smaller role, the actor claims it was he who Washington turned to for acting advice on set. Speaking at the An Audience with Coronation Street evening in Manchester, Jimmi reveals: “Denzel had come over and it was my first movie called For Queen & Country. I had two days on that working with him.
“This was before he became massive. He was lovely and I was sitting in the trailer one day waiting for my cab to take me home and there was a knock on the door. I opened it and there was Denzel. I said ‘Hi Denze. What’s up?’ He said ‘Can I just just borrow you for a couple of minutes? I know you are going home’.
“I said ‘Yes sure. Come on spot it out.’ Anyway he came in and sat down and said ‘look, I have been watching you work for the past couple of days and I think you are amazing. The thing with me is that I really want to be a big film star. A massive renowned award winning film star.’ He said ‘Do you have any advice?’ So I gave him some…and that’s it.”
Today, Jimmi says his love for Corrie is as strong as ever – as he continues to land massive storylines. Perhaps he will be best remembered for his passionate kiss with Deirdre Barlow back in December 2001, when he had a one night stand with the character, played by the late actress Anne Kirkbride, who died of breast cancer in 2015, aged 60.
The pair’s passionate encounter proved a massive hit with millions of viewers as it later spiralled into a love triangle between Dev, Deirdre and her onscreen daughter Tracy (Kate Ford) who went on to spill the beans to her father Ken (Bill Roache).
Looking back, Jimmi recognises that it is a storyline he will be forever remembered for and admits he was nervous with the pre-watershed bed hopping scenes he had to film. He said: “Anne was amazing and she had this sense of kind of chaos that followed her around.
“I was really nervous doing that scene. We had to do the bedroom scene. I said to her ‘about this scene…if I kiss you?’ She just threw all her clothes off and jumped into the sack. I was like ‘yeah, alright then.’ I got under the covers and she said ‘right, I think I’ll have to take my glasses off for this.’”
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