On Tuesday, INEC said that over 5.4 million Nigerians have registered to vote in the upcoming governorship elections in the states of Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi on November 11. INEC National Commissioner and Information and Voter Education Committee Chairman Sam Olumekun made the announcement. From the press release: “The Commission held its regular meeting today, Tuesday, October 10, 2023, and, among other issues, reviewed preparations for the off-cycle Governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi States.” For the next elections, there are a total of 5,409,438 registered voters across three states: 1,056,862 in Bayelsa State, 2,419,922 in Imo State, and…
Author: Ifeanyi Nwagboso
Even though its candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, was disqualified from running for governor of Bayelsa on November 11, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated that it plans to go ahead with the campaign kickoff on October 14. According to a previous report by InfoStride News, on Monday, Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that Sylva was unable to run for governor. Okorowo concluded that allowing Sylva to run again would be a violation of the 1999 Constitution as amended because Sylva had already been sworn in twice and had been governor of Bayelsa for…
As Nigeria prepares for the off-season elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi States, several citizens have voiced concerns about the legitimacy of the voting in those states. This comes after INEC announced recently that it will be manually transmitting results from the upcoming governorship election in Bayelsa on November 11. State INEC REC Mr. Obo Effanga reportedly informed religious leaders and faith-based organizations in Yenagoa of the commission’s decision during an interactive meeting, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and cited by InfoStride News. REC Effanga assured the participants of the interactive meeting that only voters who…
The Bayelsa State Elders Forum disagrees with the Federal High Court’s decision to disqualify All Progressives Congress governor candidate Timipre Sylva from running in the upcoming election on November 11. According to a statement released in Yenagoa and signed by the group’s chairman, Chief Michael Adomokeme, the elders believe that the presiding judge made an error in point of law when he ruled that Sylva was ineligible to run for governor on his party’s ticket because he had already taken the oath of office as governor twice. Adomekeme stated, “In as much as we respect the court as the bastion…
The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in Nasarawa State has queried the amount of votes allocated to Governor Sule of the APC in the last election. In a statement by Ibrahim Hamza, Public Relations Officer of the PDP, Nasarawa State, the party respects the right of Gov. Sule to appeal the tribunal judgement, which nullified his declaration as governor of the state and declared David Ombugadu as the lawful winner. The party, however, emphasized the need to clarify reasons for the appeal, especially, as it concerns the alleged discrepancies in the votes counted. “As firm believers in our democratic process, we…
Governor Hyacinth Alia has been criticized by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State over the state’s worsening security situation. According to the PDP, criminals are taking advantage of the governor’s ineptitude to commit their acts of malice. Mr. Bemgba Iortyom, the party’s publicity secretary, announced this to reporters on Monday in Makurdi. Iortyom said in the statement, “PDP notes with much sadness that, as a result, no day passes in Benue currently without one act of terror or another against the people by either Fulani herdsmen or bandits, resulting in deaths, destruction, hunger, and deepening impoverishment of ordinary…
The election of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) candidate Umar Mukhtari Zakari for the Tarauni Federal Constituency in Kano State was overturned by the Court of Appeal after it had been nullified by the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal. Saturday in Abuja, a three-judge bench backed arguments made by Mahmud Magaji (SAN), counsel for Zakari and the NNPP, that the tribunal had committed an error of law in reaching its verdict. The Court of Appeal agreed with the dissenting opinion written by Justice Obande Ogbuinya that the tribunal erred in concluding that Zakari faked his credentials.…
The Director of the Abuja School of Political Thoughts, Dr. Sam Amadi, has tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with addressing the shortcomings and lack of due diligence seen during the 2023 general election in preparation for the upcoming off-cycle gubernatorial elections in the states of Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi. This was discussed over the weekend at the Centre for Public Policy and Research in Abuja, where Amadi made his remarks. For example, he may say something like, “Today, we have seen various tribunals come down with judgement,” if he has doubts about the legitimacy of the elections that…
On the third day after Palestinian militants conducted a spectacular and intricate surprise attack in Israel, President Joe Biden revealed that at least 11 American citizens had been killed in the bloodshed. President Joe Biden released a statement calling the fatalities the “heart wrenching” result of a “appalling terrorist assault against Israel.” He claimed that American officials feared members of the Hamas armed group were being held hostage. The United States, he noted, is cooperating with Israel to resolve the hostage situation. “This is not some far-off tragedy,” the President stated. Israel and the United States share strong bonds. “This…
Human rights lawyer Pius Danba is worried that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) won’t schedule a bye election in the Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency in Taraba State soon. He thought it was high time for a drill like this. Danba made his position apparent in a letter to the INEC Chairman on Tuesday, in which he asserted that the commission had violated the law by allowing the election for a replacement to run more than 30 days. InfoStride News reports that the seat for the Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency has been vacant since the death of election winner Ismaila Yushau Mohammed…
Pius Danba, a human rights attorney, is concerned that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would not hold a bye election in Taraba State’s Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency soon. In his opinion, this was a long-overdue drill. On Tuesday, Danba made his stance clear in a letter to the INEC Chairman, claiming that the commission had broken the law by allowing the election for a replacement to take more than 30 days. Since the untimely passing of February 25 election winner Ismaila Yushau Mohammed, the Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency seat has been unfilled, according to InfoStride News. He mused, “It will interest…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced its intention to appeal Monday’s decision to bar Chief Timipre Sylva, its candidate for governor of Bayelsa, from the election scheduled for November 11. According to a report by InfoStride News, on Monday, Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that Sylva was unable to run for governor. Okorowo concluded that allowing Sylva to run again would be a violation of the 1999 constitution as amended because Sylva had already been sworn in twice and had been Governor of Bayelsa for five years. This was announced on Tuesday in…
The Social Democratic Party (SDP), Kogi State’s main opposition group, has uncovered an attempt to legitimate five armed thugs, suspected of being loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC), who were captured over the weekend in Ayingba. The Director of Communications, Faruk Adejoh, released a statement in which he said the ruling party had ordered the security agencies to obtain government vigilante ID cards for the criminals. “This is so they can make it look like the thugs were actually vigilantes working for the state government to combat crime,” he said. People in Kogi State live in constant terror that…
On Tuesday, Nigeria’s Chief Justice Olukayode Ariwoola eulogized the late Justice of the Supreme Court Chima Centus Nweze for his dedication to the enthronement of rule through the provision of quality justice. On Saturday, July 29, 2023, at the age of 64, Justice Nwexe passed away. According to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the late judge “was one of those cerebrally mobile judicial officers in our contemporary history who had latched on our memory an enviable degree of intellectual eminence and legal finesse that encompassed all spheres of philosophy and methodical reasoning.” The Chief Justice of Nigeria spoke at a…
The Tarauni Federal Constituency seat was restored to the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, by the Court of Appeal. According to InfoStride News, the National and State Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal in Kano disqualified NNPP candidate Mukhtar Umar Yarima. The court that deemed Hafizu Kawu the victor dismissed Yarima after he was accused of certificate fraud. Due to submitting a falsified copy of his primary school certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the three-man panel led by Justice I.P. Chima ruled that Yerima was ineligible to run for office. On Saturday, however, the appeals court ruled against the…
On Tuesday, Quadri Babalola, 23, was given a six-month prison sentence by an Ota Magistrates’ Court in Ogun for stealing an Infinix phone worth N57,000. The accused, whose residential location was not given, is suspected of stealing Benjamin Odeyemi’s phone. As stated by the Prosecutor, Insp E.O. Adaraloye, the alleged crime occurred on February 28 at approximately 2:30 p.m. at No. 52, Plaza Junction, Sango-Ota. Criminal Code, Law of Ogun, 2006. Section 390, according to Adaraloye. After the defendant entered a guilty plea, Magistrate Mr. O.O. Okiki sentenced him to six months in prison without the possibility of a fine.…
On Monday, Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike criticized the European Union (EU) for its assessment on Nigeria’s presidential election in 2023. Wike claimed the report misled voters in Rivers State and the rest of the country by distorting the reality of the most recent election. During a business visit with EU ambassador to Nigeria Samuela Isopi, Wike voiced his displeasure. The minister claimed that the European Union had been tasked with acting as an impartial observer during the most recent election, not producing a report that would misrepresent the state of democracy in Nigeria. Chief Observer Barry Andres presented…
Primate Elijah Ayodele, head of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has declared that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, will never again serve as president of Nigeria. As Ayodele predicted, no Igbo will become president of Nigeria in 2027. Ayodele’s media aide, Oluwatosin Osho, released a statement in which he said that Obi had blown his chance to become Nigeria’s leader. The lawsuit that Peter Obi has brought to the Supreme Court is hopeless, and he will not become president of Nigeria as a result. His legal proceedings will be dismissed. If Obi had acted correctly…
In light of the Federal Government’s recent announcement of a minimum wage of N35,000, organized labor in Osun State has pushed for the state government to adopt the new rate. To head off a strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Bola Tinubu-led administration proposed a number of relief measures for the working class. All low-level employees will receive N25,000 over the following six months. As a result of public outcry, however, the President raised the amount to N35,000 for the next six months. The demand was made in a letter to the…
The Romanian Foreign Ministry reported on Monday morning that 460 Romanian and Hungarian nationals have been evacuated from Israel following the ongoing multi-front offensive by Gaza terrorists. From Israel, 245 people were transported to Romania via plane. Two planes from the state-owned TAROM and two from commercial carriers travelled to Israel. The evacuees included two pilgrimage groups. Two military jets evacuated 215 Hungarian nationals from Tel Aviv after the massive attack by Hamas militants on Israel. Budapest airport received Hungarian Air Force planes Monday morning, according to Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó’s Facebook post. The two Airbus A319s were utilized by…