The Secretary-General of Afenifere, Basorun Sehinde Arogbofa, has described the death of Yinka Odumakin as shocking. Arogbofa, when contacted by the media stated that the death of the organization’s National Publicity Secretary was not only a loss to Afenifere but Nigeria as a whole. Odumakin, an activist and the spokesman of Afenifere was reported dead on Saturday morning due to alleged COVID-19 complications. According to Arogbofa who spoke in Akure, the Ondo State capital, himself and the late Odumakin worked closely while he was alive. “lt’s a terrible blow. A terrible blow to me as a person because we’ve been…
Author: Ifeanyi Nwagboso
Spokesman of Afenifere, a Pan-Yoruba sociocultural group, Yinka Odumakin is dead. According to Daily Trust, the human rights activist died on Saturday. He reportedly died from COVID-19 complications. Effort by TheInfoStride to reach Chief Ayo Adebanjo, an Afenifere chieftain failed as his mobile lines were not teachable as at press time. Details later…
The Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. Orji Kalu, has said that the use of thugs during elections portends great danger to the nation’s democracy. Kalu said this on Friday while inspecting the ongoing construction of the two-kilometre Akama and Ugwuavor Roads in Arochukwu. Reports have it that the road was one of the 19 constituency road projects the lawmaker attracted to Abia North Senatorial District. He spoke against the backdrop of last Saturday’s Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency bye-election, which was reportedly marred by thuggery and violence. He called on Nigerians of good conscience and believers in democracy to…
There are strong indications that the planned deployment of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) for the November 6, 2021, Anambra State governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) might have hit the rock. It was gathered that the non-passage of the Electoral Act Amendment bill by the National Assembly before the end March as promised was a major impediment to the plan. TheInfoStride also learnt that the Easter break embarked on by the lawmakers would further delay the amendment process, as they would not resume plenary until Tuesday, April 13, 2021. It could be recalled that the 8th National…
South-West State chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have dared the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, to dump the party, after he warned the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party against postponing the South-West congress of the party. PDP had fixed April 10 for the event to hold in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. However, Makinde, in a statement issued by his media aide, Taiwo Adisa, warned the NWC against bowing to pressure to postpone the congress, saying such would be resisted. Makinde urged the NWC to rise to its responsibilities and prevail on the person or…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop interrupting the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR). PDP Publicity Secretary in Lagos, Taofik Gani, spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). The electoral umpire has fixed June for the recommencement of the CVR. But the PDP said it was “embarrassing” that the process “is always announced as if it has intervals”. “That should not be; it should be a continuous and uninterrupted registration exercise.” Gani told INEC to let Nigerians know if they are facing logistics constraints. “Why should they say continuous voter registration while…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) is split over the purported tenure extension plan by the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC). The committee, led by Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, was constituted after the ouster of National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, in 2020. Although, the CECPC got an extension to stay on till June 2021, there are speculations that the interim leadership is not willing to leave. On Thursday, the party notified the public of the extension of its nationwide membership registration and revalidation exercise by three weeks. It was alleged that the initial plot was to stretch by six to…
The earlier North Central decides whether it wants the presidential slot or the national chairmanship position of the two leading political parties ahead of the 2023 general election, the better. Otherwise, the region stands the risk of not getting anything tangible on the platforms of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The zone, which includes Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Nassarawa, Kwara, Niger and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), only tasted the highest seat of power when Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd.) became the military Head of State through the counter coup of July 1966. Since then, the…
Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, yesterday, said he would be shocked if Wednesday’s attack duringa townhall meeting was politically motivated and targetted at him because no office is worth the life of even a chicken. He spoke on a day the Anambra State Police Command arrested five suspects and beefed up security around him. Soludo is a front line aspirant for the November 6, Anambra State governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA. Soludo in an interview programme on Channels Television, recalled that the gun battle lasted for…
Some loyalists of Late Senator Buruji Kashamu have dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, saying they want former Governor, Ibikunle Amosun to be their leader. TheInfoStride reports that the PDP defectors were received into the APC by Amosun at his Ibara, Abeokuta residence on Thursday. The PDP leaders, led by Chief Ibilola Solaja, held a meeting with Senator Amosun, pledging their support. Speaking on behalf of other decampees, Chief Olu Azeez from Ijebu North, told our correspondent in an interview that they chose to join the APC under Amosun’s leadership because…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has charged Christian faithful to seek God’s intervention over the country’s security and other crisis bedevilling it. The party urged Christians to dedicate themselves to more prayers during the Easter period, particularly in praying for their leaders. Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe and Chairman of APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) gave the charge in a statement issued by his Director-General, Press and Media, Alhaji Mamman Mohammed on Friday. According to the statement, Buni also called for love, unity, peace, harmony and tolerance among Nigerians. He called on religious leaders to use…
A statement released by Governor Seyi Makinde on the decision of the PDP National Working Committee to Proceed with the Southwest Zonal Congress on April 10, 2021 reads: “As the only serving PDP governor in the Southwest and an invested party in the PDP’s growth and development, I commend the National Working Committee (NWC) for the decision to go ahead with the Southwest Congress. “I am glad that they bowed to superior reasoning regarding the congress. I am also happy that the congress will be held in Ibadan, Oyo State, in line with our party’s constitution and as stipulated in…
Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio’s purported emergence as leader of Akwa Ibom State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has split the party in the state. Chairman of the state chapter, Dr. Ita Udosen, faulted the decision of the Sam Ewang’s group for proclaiming Akpabio as the leader of the party. Udosen insisted that the decision of the Ewang-led group to name Akpabio leader of the party was illegal and of no effect since he lacked the powers to convene a stakeholders meeting that party organs boycotted at all levels in the state. He argued that only…
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule has said a Southerner should succeed President Muhamadu Buhari. Sule declared his support for a power shift in 2023 on Thursday at the Government House in Lafia. The governor spoke when he met with the supporters of Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura seeking his election as All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman. “I have never said anything against the agitation for rotation of the presidency to the South. I don’t think it’s a bad idea, for peace in Nigeria, if there is a rotational presidency”, The Nation quoted him as saying. On the APC chairmanship race,…
The Osun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) delegates have re-anointed the immediate past National Vice Chairman in the South West, Eddy Olafeso in the same capacity in the forthcoming Zonal Congress of the party in the zone. Recall that another hopeful of the position of the party’s South West Chairman, Amb. Taofeeq Arapaja, who was a former Oyo State Deputy Governor, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja had visited a section of the PDP leaders in Osogbo recently, for support and adoption as the right candidate. While Amb. Arapaja, is one of the loyalists of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Dr Olafeso…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has extended its ongoing nationwide membership registration and revalidation exercise by three weeks. Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, National Secretary of the party’s Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), announced the extension in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, NAN reports. He said the CECPC under the leadership of Gov. Mai Mala Buni had done everything possible to keep to the earlier timeline for the exercise but could not. Akpanudoedehe said it became important to extend the duration of the exercise by three weeks to enable more Nigerians who were interested in joining the APC to…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the National Identification Number (NIN) is not mandatory for voter registration. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the clarification to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, NAN reports. Yakubu said that NIN was only a means of identification for registration as listed in the Electoral Act. “I want to make this important clarification. NIN is not going to be made mandatory for voter registration. “This is for a simple reason that we are operating on basis of the law establishing INEC. “Section 10 of the Electoral Act lists identifications to be presented…
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole on Wednesday officially registered as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State. Bankole who recently defected to the APC, validated his membership at his ward 10, Iporo – Sodeke unit in Abeokuta South Local Government Area of the state. The former Speaker who was the governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the 2019 election joined the ruling party at a meeting with National Caretaker Chairman of APC, Mai Mala Buni in Abuja. Buni last week Monday presented Bankole alongside another decampee and former Governor…
INEC promises to ensure a safe and stress-free experience for Nigerians. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will recommence the continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise on June 28, 2021. The commission’s chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, announced the new date at a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, April 1. The nationwide exercise will be carried out for over a year until September 2022, just months before the 2023 general elections. Yakubu encouraged Nigerians that have turned 18 years old as of June 28 to turn out for the exercise and register to vote. Other categories of…
A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Onwa Innocent Nwachukwu, has said the recent victory of the party in the just-concluded Aba North and Aba South federal constituency election was a clear manifestation of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s developmental strides in Aba and the state at large. Nwachukwu claimed that the PDP administration in Abia has performed well in all facets of governance, especially in the area of infrastructures, health, trade and investment and education. The PDP stalwart, in a press statement made available to journalists in Umuahia, said the ruling party has addressed most teething yearnings of the Abia…