The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Mr Blyden Okanni of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Ngor Okpala State Constituency bye-election in Imo State. Prof. Dennis Akoh, the INEC Returning Officer for the election, announced this in Owerri on Sunday. Akoh said that Okanni polled 9,248 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr Emeka Nwachukwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 7,161 votes. Akoh, a professor at the Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwor (FUNAI) in Ebonyi, said the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr Christopher Nwaiwu placed third with 501…
Author: Ifeanyi Nwagboso
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Imo State, has demanded the immediate arrest of all the appointees, allies, associates and agents of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Gov. Hope Uzodinma over their alleged involvement in “shameful abductions, violence and electoral fraud in Ngor Okpala.” The party, in a statement signed by Engr. Charles Ugwu, Chairman, PDP, Imo State, commended Professor Chukwuemeka Ezeonu, Imo State Resident Electoral Commissioner and the Commission’s staff for resisting the invaders and standing up to the truth. The opposition party said the press conference earlier addressed by the Resident Commissioner aptly captured the entire issues. The…
The Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, has called for a total cancellation of the Ngor Okpala by-election in Imo State over alleged intimidation and harassment of the people. CUPP in a statement by its National Spokesperson, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere called for a fresh election. He said, “The best thing for INEC is to cancel the entire Ngor Okpalla Election given the madness and attempt by Gov. Hope Uzodinma to rape the will of the people and visit his political 419 on our democratic process again. “Powers contained in the New Electoral Act must be tested and used to cleanse…
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Imo State chapter has stated that the party will not accept any result written from Sentiero Hotel room in today’s (Saturday) bye-election in Ngor-Okpala state constituency. Speaking to journalists on Saturday, the Director-General of the New Media of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Collins Opuruzo, said the people of Ngor-Okpala voted massively for the PDP and the party would not accept anything contrary. The party accused the Governor of Imo State , Hope Uzodinma and the All Progressives Congress, APC, of invading Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area with over 70 masked men in more than 20…
United States on Saturday (local time) announced additional assistance to Ukraine which includes USD 350 million for immediate support to Ukraine’s defence against ongoing Russia’s military actions. The US State Department release said, “This will include further lethal defensive assistance to help Ukraine address the armoured, airborne, and other threats it is now facing.” Stating the previous assistance that the US provided to the country, the US Secretary of State said, “Last fall, as the present threat against Ukraine from Russia, developed, under authority delegated by the President, I authorized the Department of Defense to provide $60 million in immediate…
Women caucus of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the South-East, has appealed to the party’s stakeholders to allow more women into elective positions in the March national convention of the party. The appeal was contained in a press statement signed by the women leader, national contact and mobilization committee, Lolo Queen Nwankwo, Hon. Chief Mrs. Deborah Chinwe Okah, Secretary, Barr. Ngozi Njoku, PRO, Lady Phillow Ikwuegbu, Organizing Sec and Lady Finna Kanu, Financial Secretary. They appreciated the wife of the President, Aisha Buhari for always championing the cause of Nigerian women, as well as Stella Okotete, the women representative…
It called on the party to embrace proper democratic ideals as much as possible in the election of the new National Working Committee (NWC) members, in order to ensure that it would represent the wish of the majority of party members. Recall that the news making the round was that Senator Abdullahi Adamu has been anointed by President Muhammadu Buhari as the next national chairman of the party. But the group in a statement issued Saturday by his Spokesperson, Mr Aliyu Audu, said it welcomed the renewed commitments of stakeholders to hold on the new scheduled date. It stressed that…
Mr. Ikponmwosa Omorodion, a former Special Adviser to Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC). The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event took place on Saturday at Iguogun community, near Iguobazuwa, in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State. Omorodion, who described his defection as the “Return of the Prodigal Son”, said he was inspired to return based on the good work of Mr Dennis Idahosa, the representative of the Ovia Federal Constituency in the National Assembly (NASS). The former Special Adviser, who…
The Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, says the signing into law of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2022 by President Muhammadu Buhari would revolutionize Nigeria’s electoral system. It said only parties voted for by Nigerians would henceforth win elections. Mr Ikenga Ugochinyere, the spokesperson, CUPP and PDP Chieftain, made this known in a statement while commending the President for assenting to the bill. “Though it was delayed a bit, but CUPP is elated that finally Nigeria has a law that will revolutionize our electoral processes. “We, therefore, commend President Muhammadu Buhari for assenting to the Bill, thereby creating a…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video on social media on Friday, reassuring people that he is still in the capital. “We are all here. Our troops are here … We are defending our independence, our state. And so it will continue,” he said in the video, in which he and other government leaders were in front of the parliament building in Kiev, Xinhua news agency reported. However, there were reports saying that he had fled.
Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has said Nigerians need jobs, education, and progress. He assured that he can provide them if elected President in 2023. He spoke at the palace of Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun Oyetunji, during his consultation in Osun State. According to Tinubu: “The Nigeria you know in 2015 was sick and APC was used as a cure. “We need a lot of jobs, solid education for our children, we need progress for our country. We want somebody that can bring that, we have in our old national anthem that…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has congratulated Nigerians, particularly Civil Society Organizations for putting pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to finally assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill today. The party also urged Nigerians to take charge of the polling units in 2023. It commended the courage of its members and other opposition members in the National Assembly for standing their ground on the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. The opposition party said the new electoral act will among other things principally provide for the electronic transmission of election results directly from the polling units. It stated, “the…
Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have described the impeachment of Zamfara State Deputy Governor, Barr Mahdi Gusau as immoral, illegal and unfortunate. Recall that the Zamfara State House of Assembly on Tuesday 22nd February 2022, impeached Gusau. The PDP Governors Forum, in a statement by its Director-General, Hon CID Maduabum, Friday condemned the process which it described as naked and unconstitutional abuse of power. It added that “It is immoral, perfidious and an affront to the rule of law for an illegally constituted House of Assembly to purport to oust a validly elected Deputy…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law is an indication that his commitment and support for constitutionally-permitted innovations that would improve the transparency and credibility of Nigeria’s electioneering processes was never in doubt. It added that the new Electoral Act was another pointer. The National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Sen. John Akpanudodehe in a statement issued Friday said the APC-led government would continue to champion needed reforms. He said the development provides an improved legal framework in the lead-up to…
The European Broadcasting Union, who organise the Eurovision Song Contest, have barred Russia from participating this year following the country’s invasion of Ukraine. According to Variety, in a statement, the EBU said: “The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced that no Russian act will participate in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. The Executive Board of the EBU made the decision following a recommendation earlier today by the Eurovision Song Contest’s governing body, the Reference Group, based on the rules of the event and the values of the EBU. The Reference Group recommendation was also supported by the EBU’s Television Committee.…
Some Stakeholders in the Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have appealed to the former Commissioner for Works, Mrs Funmi Ogun to accept her nomination as a deputy governorship candidate for the June 18 poll. The stakeholders said rejecting the offer to be running mate to the candidate, Hon Bisi Kolawole, may spark up another round of confusion in the opposition party and rob it of victory, in spite of enormous goodwill it now savours among Ekiti voters. Sequel to her nomination by her party for the coveted position, Funmi Ogun, who is Governor Ayodele Fayose’s ally under whom she…
An All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential aspirant, Bola Tinubu has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to hand over power to him in 2023. Tinubu anchored his call on the fact that he supported Buhari’s ambition to become president in the past. He recalled campaigning with Buhari across Nigeria in 2015. The APC National Leader said Buhari should not just leave office in 2023 but hand over power to him. He spoke during his separate visits to the Ooni of Ife and Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, in Osun State, to seek their support. According to Tinubu: “We went around the country in…
Less than 24 hours to the bye-elections in Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency and Pankshin South State Constituency, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has warned against any plans to shortchange the main opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the polls. The Governor assured citizens of the constituencies that as leaders of the party, they will ensure that they are not shortchanged. He also advised security agencies and the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), not to allow themselves to be used to shortchange anybody in the elections, but to allow a level playing ground for all parties. Mohammed,…
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has told the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to roll out the 2023 election guidelines without further delay. Atiku said this following President Muhammadu Buhari’s signing of the new Electoral Bill on Friday. According to him, the electoral umpire needs to roll out the guidelines so that political parties and Nigerians could commence preparations for the 2023 general elections. Atiku, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019, is said to be interested in the 2023 race. He said, “Now that the legal framework for the 2023 elections is in place…
Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in a call on Friday that Russia is willing to hold high level talks with Ukraine, China’s foreign ministry said. China has refused to call Russia’s action in Ukraine an “invasion” or criticise Moscow despite intensifying assaults from Russia’s military. Putin told Xi that the United States and NATO had long ignored Russia’s legitimate security concerns, repeatedly reneged on their commitments, and continued to expand military deployment eastward, challenging Russia’s strategic bottom line, according to a statement on the Chinese foreign ministry website. Russia is willing to conduct high-level negotiations…