The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, has called for stronger collaboration between the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) to enhance public confidence in the police.

The IGP made the call on Tuesday when he received a delegation of the NIPR, led by its President and Chairman of Council, Dr Ike Neliaku, on a courtesy visit to the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

According to a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, the IGP emphasised the importance of effective communication, professionalism, transparency and fairness in strengthening the relationship between the police and members of the public.

Disu noted that every police officer was an image-maker of the Force, adding that the conduct of personnel in their daily interactions with citizens had a direct impact on public perception of the police.

He said the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) remained committed to policing by consent and promoting a service-oriented policing culture built on professionalism, empathy, accountability and respect for human rights.

The IGP also sought the support of the NIPR in providing specialised communication training for police personnel and developing a coherent communication framework that would effectively communicate the sacrifices and contributions of police officers to public safety and national security.

Earlier, Neliaku commended the IGP for his professional accomplishments and briefed him on Nigeria’s hosting of the 2026 World Public Relations Forum and Africa Charter Forum.

The international event is scheduled to hold at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, and is expected to attract more than 3,000 delegates from 126 member countries of the Global Alliance for Public Relations.

The NIPR delegation also sought the support of the Nigeria Police Force in security planning and coverage for the event.

Neliaku further invited the IGP to serve as a keynote speaker at the forum and encouraged police officers to register and participate as delegates.

The delegation included the Secretary-General of the African Public Relations Association, Dr Omoniyi Ibietan; Dr Suleiman Haruna; Mrs Maryam Sanusi; Mrs Olubunmi Badejo; Commandant Olusola Odumosu; Chief Uzoma Oyegbadu; Chief Moji Makanjuola; Mr Stanley Ogadigo and other members of the institute.

Iniedu said the meeting reflected the commitment of the  Police Force to building productive partnerships with professional bodies and other stakeholders to strengthen public trust, enhance public safety and promote national security.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said his decision to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027 does not mean the Peoples Democratic Party will withdraw from other elections.

Wike said he would mobilise support for Tinubu’s second-term bid while the PDP remained free to field candidates for governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.

The minister made the clarification in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka.

Wike also dismissed suggestions that the emerging “rainbow coalition” was an arrangement with the ruling All Progressives Congress, saying it was simply a platform for politicians across party lines to mobilise support for Tinubu.

He said he would not take responsibility for helping politicians win elections in their respective states, insisting that political disputes at the state level should be settled locally.

“Politics is local and those having problems in their States should resolve them instead of using the reelection of the President to whip up sentiments,” Wike said.

The former Rivers State governor recalled that he and other members of the G5 governors did not negotiate with the APC before supporting Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.

He maintained that his position for 2027 remained centred on securing Tinubu’s re-election and not determining the outcome of other elections.

Wike argued that the 2023 elections showed that Nigerian voters could support different political parties in presidential and National Assembly contests held on the same day.

He cited Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi states as examples, noting that the APC won some National Assembly seats despite recording relatively low votes for the presidential election in the states.

“In Imo State under Governor Hope Uzodinma, how did APC win two senate seats in 2023, in an election held the same day with that of the President and APC had less than 15 per cent in the presidential election? Was it rainbow coalition? Were the voters confused?” he asked.

Wike further cited the APC’s victories in National Assembly elections in Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu, despite the party’s performance in the presidential poll in those states.

He said the results demonstrated that voters could make different choices in different elections.

“If in 2023, the voters in Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi voted APC in the Senatorial election and voted another party in the presidential election, they won’t be confused in 2027 provided we all support the president genuinely this time?” he added.

The FCT minister urged political stakeholders to separate the President’s re-election from their individual political battles at the state level.

“What I said and stand for is that I will mobilise support for the reelection of the President. I never promised anyone that PDP will not field candidates to contest governorship, National Assembly and States House of Assembly elections,” Wike said.

He also stressed that the rainbow coalition had no formal connection with the APC.

“Most importantly, rainbow coalition has nothing to do with the APC. Rather, it is own way of mobilising support across political parties for Mr President, who has done well to deserve a second term,” he said.

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate fell marginally to 15.39 per cent in August 2026 from 15.43 per cent in July, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The NBS disclosed this in its Consumer Price Index released on Tuesday, saying the latest figure represented a 0.04 percentage point decline from the previous month.

The statistics agency, however, reported a sharper decline in the month-on-month inflation rate, which dropped to 0.71 per cent in August from 1.57 per cent in July.

The month-on-month rate, according to the bureau, declined by 0.86 percentage points compared with the July figure.

The NBS explained that the development indicated that the rate at which the average price level increased in August was slower than that recorded in July.

The latest data also showed a significant moderation in food inflation, which stood at 19.57 per cent year-on-year in August.

The figure was substantially lower than the 25.30 per cent recorded in August 2025.

On a month-on-month basis, food inflation fell to 1.02 per cent in August from 5.56 per cent in July, representing a decline of 4.55 percentage points.

The NBS said the development showed that food prices were still rising, but at a slower rate during the month under review.

It attributed the decline largely to changes in the average prices of a number of food items, including palm oil, carrots, pepper, onions, cassava flour, beef, yam flour, water yam, melon (egusi), fresh ginger, fresh fish, Irish potatoes, wheat grain, frozen chicken and turkey meat.

At the state level, Adamawa recorded the highest year-on-year food inflation rate in August at 38.85 per cent.

It was followed by Zamfara with 37.96 per cent and Bayelsa with 36.20 per cent.

On the other hand, Borno recorded the lowest year-on-year food inflation rate at -4.04 per cent, followed by Jigawa at -0.23 per cent and Kebbi at 3.47 per cent.

The month-on-month figures presented a different picture, with Katsina recording the highest food inflation rate at 9.48 per cent.

Rivers and Osun followed with 8.86 per cent and 8.32 per cent respectively.

Taraba recorded the lowest month-on-month food inflation rate at -12.42 per cent, followed by Borno at -12.15 per cent and Bauchi at -8.88 per cent.

The latest figures indicate a moderation in the pace of price increases, particularly in the food sector, although the NBS data show that consumers continue to face varying price pressures across the states.