Political parties participating in the upcoming Ondo State governorship election will sign a Peace Accord on November 8, an initiative coordinated by the National Peace Committee and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to promote a peaceful electoral process. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, announced the development on Thursday in Abuja, noting that the Commission has identified potential flashpoints in Ondo and informed security agencies to support effective conflict mapping. While addressing Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) during INEC’s fourth quarterly meeting, Yakubu stated that INEC would conduct a final assessment of election readiness next week, which will involve stakeholders, officials,…
Author: Ifeanyi Nwagboso
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State has taken a swipe at the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the defection of Suleiman Abubakar Gummi to the APC. Gummi, who was elected under the PDP in 2023 to represent the Bukkuyyum/Gummi federal constituency in the House of Representatives, recently joined the APC along with his supporters. Addressing journalists in Gusau, APC State Publicity Secretary Yusuf Idris Gusau stated that Gummi’s defection highlights internal issues within the PDP. “We are not surprised that the lawmaker decamped to APC with his teeming supporters because Governor Dauda Lawal is not a politician…
Edo State’s outgoing Governor, Godwin Obaseki, on Thursday recounted how land grabbers illegally reallocated and resold his property in Iyekogba, Oredo Local Government Area. Obaseki shared his experience while commissioning the Edo Built Environment Hub in Benin City. The newly inaugurated hub encompasses the Ministry of Physical Planning, Housing, Urban and Regional Development; Edo Geographic Information Service (EdoGIS); Ministry of Roads and Bridges; and the Edo State Public Building and Maintenance Agency. Reflecting on the incident, Obaseki said, “Before I assumed office as governor, my land, which had a government-approved Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), was grabbed and resold…
The Abia State chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has urged security agencies to refrain from subjecting voters to any form of brutality during the upcoming local government elections on November 2. Speaking in Umuahia on Thursday after a peace accord was signed by political parties in the state, Abia IPAC Chairman Nelcin Uluocha emphasized that any form of voter mistreatment would not be tolerated. Uluocha, who also chairs the Young Progressive Party (YPP) in Abia, expressed the council’s commitment to ensuring a fair and peaceful election process. Additionally, Uluocha criticized Alex Ikwuechegh, the member representing Aba North/Aba South…
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Thursday distributed 80 vehicles to youth in Abuja as part of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Youth Empowerment Initiative. Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, which marked the end of nine days of project inaugurations, Wike emphasized the government’s commitment to improving the lives of young people in the FCT. The vehicle distribution included 30 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), 30 seven-seater Suzuki minibuses, and 20 14-seater Hiace buses. According to Wike, the vehicles are intended to create employment opportunities for the youth and help reduce transportation costs within the capital.…
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has stated that Northern governors cannot oppose President Bola Tinubu, whom he described as a leader they collectively helped to elect. This comes amid reports of Northern governors rejecting aspects of a tax reform bill sent to the National Assembly by President Tinubu’s administration. In a communiqué issued Monday, the Northern Governors’ Forum, chaired by Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa, expressed concerns over elements of the bill, notably its provisions on Value Added Tax (VAT) distribution. The proposed legislation, forwarded by Tinubu to the Senate and House of Representatives on October 3, 2024, includes provisions…
With just 17 days to the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State, the Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) deputy governorship candidate, Susan Gbemisola Alabi, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Alabi formally joined the ruling APC during its campaign tour in Akoko North West Local Government Area, where she was welcomed by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and APC State Chairman, Ade Adetimehin. Her defection follows her resignation from the SDP on October 2, when she notified the party’s National Chairman, Shehu Musa Gabam, of her decision. During the campaign, Governor Aiyedatiwa, who is also the APC’s governorship candidate, promised…
Abubakar Gummi, representing Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency of Zamfara State in the House of Representatives, has officially joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), departing from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on which platform he was elected. Gummi announced his defection in a letter read by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen during Wednesday’s plenary, attributing his decision to unresolved internal crises within the PDP. He highlighted the recent removal of the PDP chairman in his local government, leading to the emergence of two chairmen and disrupting the party’s democratic operations. However, Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda challenged the defection, urging the Speaker to honor his…
Comrade Usman Okai Austin, former candidate for the Dekina/Bassa Federal House of Representatives and National Coordinator of the National Youths Frontier, has expressed support for Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s potential bid for the Nigerian presidency, calling him “overwhelmingly qualified.” Okai highlighted Makinde’s two terms as governor, his achievements, and his extensive political experience as key indicators of his suitability for the country’s top office. He made these remarks in response to claims suggesting that Makinde is a “mole” working for the All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissing them as unfounded. “There’s no harm in a governor aspiring for the Presidency,”…
The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to dismiss demands for the redeployment of Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola. Speaking at a press conference in Akure on Wednesday, Ondo State IPAC Chairman, Mr. Olaoluwa Adesanya, affirmed IPAC’s confidence in Babalola’s integrity and capability to oversee a credible, fair, and free election on November 16. Adesanya highlighted that Babalola had maintained transparency by involving IPAC in all INEC activities related to the upcoming polls. He described allegations of her collusion with political parties as unfounded and unsubstantiated. “IPAC Ondo State…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) plans to use operatives of the Amotekun Corps to influence the November 16 governorship election in the state. In a statement by Ayo Fadaka, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the PDP governorship candidate, the opposition expressed concern over the recent appointment of Amotekun Corps Commander, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, as Chairman of the Security Committee for the APC campaign council. The PDP claimed this move would mobilize Amotekun operatives as “thugs” during the election and vowed to resist the alleged plot. “We…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied accusations from the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) that its chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, ignored a court order regarding the prosecution of electoral offenders. In a statement released Wednesday in Abuja, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, addressed the allegations, which stemmed from media reports in which SERAP claimed the Commission failed to prosecute individuals involved in electoral offenses during the 2023 General Election. SERAP had alleged that INEC neglected to appoint independent counsels to prosecute unnamed governors and deputy governors for various electoral…
A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has sentenced a final-year student of the University of Port Harcourt, Henry Nathaniel Ekanem, to 14 years imprisonment for internet fraud. Justice A.T. Mohammed delivered the judgment on Wednesday following Ekanem’s arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a seven-count charge of obtaining money under false pretenses and impersonation. According to a statement by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, Ekanem defrauded a victim, Diana Roskov, of $22 by impersonating Coran Capshaw, the manager of American singer Chris Stapleton, through fraudulent WhatsApp and Instagram chats. Oyewale disclosed that Ekanem…
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the Acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS). This appointment, announced in a statement on Wednesday by presidential media aide Bayo Onanuga, will remain in effect until the return of the substantive Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja. Amid speculation surrounding Lagbaja’s status, Army spokesperson Onyema Nwachukwu had clarified on October 20 that the COAS was on leave. Onanuga reaffirmed that Lagbaja remains the substantive Chief of Army Staff. Before his appointment, Oluyede served as the 56th Commander of the Infantry Corps, based in Jaji, Kaduna. A…
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has assured residents of the FCT that President Bola Tinubu has instructed him to address their demands promptly. Wike made this statement on Wednesday during the flag-off ceremony for the rehabilitation of the 10-kilometer Aguma Palace-Radio Nigeria-New Market Road in Gwagwalada Area Council. The minister emphasized the FCT Administration’s (FCTA) commitment to ensuring that governance brings tangible benefits to residents, particularly through the development of infrastructure in the area councils. Wike explained that the road project was selected based on inputs from stakeholders during a recent town hall meeting between…
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed concern over the conduct and statements of the All Progressives Congress (APC), warning that the ruling party’s actions could endanger Nigeria’s constitutional democracy. HURIWA, in a statement, accused the APC of displaying a tendency to dominate key democratic institutions, including the Judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The association alleged that the APC appears to have “pocketed” these institutions, allowing the party to boast about winning future elections with impunity. The rights group cited the APC’s performance in the Edo State governorship election as evidence of the party’s…
The Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Tuesday adjourned the case seeking to void the nomination of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Olusola Akinbode, for the November 16 local government elections. The plaintiff, Gbenga Akinwande, is challenging the APC primaries that led to the nomination of Akinbode as the party’s Yewa North Council chairmanship candidate. He also joined the APC and the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) as the first and second defendants in the suit. Akinwande claims that Akinbode did not participate in the screening process conducted at the APC Secretariat in Ayetoro and…
The Abuja Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) confirmed the arrest of seven suspected internet fraudsters on Wednesday. The suspects were apprehended on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, in the Kubwa area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The EFCC stated that the arrests followed credible intelligence linking the individuals to internet-related fraud. During the operation, officers recovered 13 mobile phones of various brands and one vehicle. The Commission noted that the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 25 suspected internet fraudsters in various locations across Benin City, Edo State. The arrests were confirmed on Wednesday by the EFCC’s Benin Zonal Directorate. According to the Commission, the suspects were apprehended based on credible intelligence regarding their alleged involvement in internet-related fraud. Items recovered during the operation include eight luxury vehicles, laptops, and mobile phones. The EFCC stated that the suspects will face court proceedings once investigations are completed.
The Kano State Sharia Court in Kofar Kudu has ordered the remand of Nasiru Mukhtar, who is accused of assaulting Imam Malam Murtala Sulaiman during morning prayers. The alleged incident took place on October 22, 2024, at a mosque in Tudunwada, where Mukhtar reportedly stormed the premises, grabbed the imam by the neck, slapped him, tore his clothing, and seized his microphone. The imam subsequently filed a complaint with the state police command, leading to Mukhtar’s arrest. In court, Mukhtar’s defense counsel requested bail, arguing that further investigation was necessary. However, presiding Judge Malam Isah Rabi’u Gaya denied the request,…