The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has issued a stern warning to political actors across the country against engaging in premature campaigns for the 2027 general elections at the expense of governance.

It described such actions as insensitive amidst the deepening insecurity, economic hardship, and growing discontent among Nigerians.

The ACF Chairman, Chief Mamman Mike Osuman, stated this at the 715th National Executive Committee, NEC meeting of the forum at its national secretariat in Kaduna.

The high-flood risk states are: Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and the Federal Capital Territory.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, on Thursday, said coastal and riverine flooding would be experienced in some parts of the South-South geopolitical zone of the country due to a rise in sea level.

Some of Maiduguri communities submerged in flood following a leak in the Alau Dam in 2024.

Among these states are Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers while Akwa-Ibom and Edo fall under the high-flood risk states.

Utsev stated this during the public presentation of the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) in Abuja.

The 2025 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) was segmented into three parts to address the pressing challenges of flood disasters and provide information for mitigation, especially in the most vulnerable communities

The minister disclosed that flooding remained one of the most devastating natural disasters in Nigeria with climate change accelerating its frequency and severity.

He revealed that 1,249 communities in 176 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across 30 states and the FCT fall within high-risk flood zones this year, while an additional 2,187 communities in 293 LGAs face moderate flood risks. Key risk areas include Abia, Benue, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Jigawa, among others.

To improve early warning and response systems, this year’s AFO introduced a community-based flood forecasting approach. Rather than just general predictions, forecasts are now tailored to specific communities, enhancing actionable communication and preparedness at the grassroots level.

Borno residents displaced by flood in Maiduguri, the state capital on September 10, 2024

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Richard Pheelangwah, in his remarks, urged stakeholders to prioritize early response. “This outlook isn’t just about numbers, it’s about protecting lives and livelihoods,” he said.

The Director General of NIHSA, Umar Mohammed, noted that this year’s flood forecast goes beyond mapping LGAs and now identifies specific communities at risk.

“Our focus has expanded to assess sectoral impacts, on health, education, agriculture, and infrastructure, offering more robust tools to policymakers and disaster risk managers,” he said.

The former US First Lady advised single people to choose a partner the way they would choose a player in a sports team.

She used a basketball team as an example, stating that one wouldn’t choose a player who can only shoot but will choose one who has other talents to fill in when other players can’t.

She added that it’s the same in marriage and people should pick partners who can do it all on their own.

“Everybody has to be able to do it all,” she said. “Each person in a couple has to be able and willing to do it all.”

She added: “You don’t want to marry a man who is like ‘I don’t cook’. It’s like, well, what happens if I can’t cook?”

She added that “life is just so unpredictable” and each partner should be able to step in when their partner is not capable.

She questioned how a woman who married a man who can’t do house chores would cope when she has a difficult pregnancy or just gave birth.

In the same way, she advised women not to avoid building knowledge that allows them handle the family’s finances.

She continued: “Or if you’re the woman and you can’t balance the checkbook because you’ve left that to him. Life is too complicated for two partners not to be real equals in it.”

In the caption, she added: “Find a partner who isnt just willing to divide and conquer, but who’s capable of covering for you during life’s unpredictable moments.”