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  • Edo cult killings: Our fight is generational, says cultist

    A suspected member of Eiye confraternity, Leviticus Okon, who was arrested while on his way to kill a rival cult member, has said that the ongoing cult war between Eiye and Aye confraternity in the state is a generational war.

    Leviticus was paraded alongside 81 suspected cultists arrested in connection with the ongoing cult war.

    Police described Leviticus as a dangerous killer cultist.

    Leviticus told newsmen only one of his victims died while the other escaped with bullet wound.

    He was arrested along Second East Circular road while he and other cultists were on their way to kill a rival cult member

    His words, “the first person I shot did not die. The other one died. We were on our way to kill another person when we were arrested.

    Read Also: Edo production centre opens for business

    “The one we killed is a bus conductor. He is a member of Aye. The fight is generational fight. The fight does not end.”

    Meanwhile, in Uromi, the police arrested one Micheal Ebhodaghe and Henry Ighalo for selling arms and cartridges to cultists in the locality.

    An army deserter, Private Mbawa Lucky was paraded for belonging to one of the cult groups.

    The Edo Police Commissioner, Mr. Muhammed Dan Mallam, said the suspects would soon be charged to court.

  • Breaking: Tribunal declares Osun gov re-run election illegal

    The rerun Osun governorship election on September 27, 2018 in seven polling units was illegal, The Osun State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja has declared.

    It stated the exercise was borne out of an illegal cancellation of results in the polling units during the September 22, 2018 original poll.

    Read Also: Oyetola urges councils to generate independent funding

    The Returning Officers who declared the results cancelled, according to the Tribunal, lacked the power to do it.

    The Peoples Democratic Party and its governorship candidate, Ademola Adeleke, petitioned the tribunal to declare Adeleke the governor-elect having polled the highest lawful votes.

     

     

  • Faleke didn’t sponsor me, says Kogi ADC Rep-elect

    A House of Representative member-elect from Yagba Federal Constituency, Kogi state on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Hon. Leke Abejide has debunked insinuations he was sponsored by Hon. James Falake, a member representing Ikeja Federal Constituency.

    According to a statement by the newly elected lawmaker, he described the story published by a section of the media as cheap blackmail orchestrated by his political detractors at Kogi state Government House.

    He said: “Shocked by the way the All Progressive Congress was roundly defeated at Yagba Federal Constituency by our great party, the ADC, some disgruntled elements sponsored by Governor Yahaya Bello resorted to blackmail and mischievous propaganda to make the world believe I cannot stand on my feet.

    “The baseless document which was made available to news media in Lokoja by its authors last Tuesday alleges that Honourable Abejide, the popularly elected representative of the good people of Yagba Federal Constituency on the platform of ADC in the Green Chamber of the National Assembly, was sponsored by Hon. James Falake, a member representing Ikeja Federal Constituency of Lagos state at the House of Representatives.”

    Abejide stated: “I am too profound and successful in all facets of life to be sponsored by anybody within and outside Nigeria.

    “The African Democratic Congress (ADC), which I nurtured from inception to a position of strength which cumulated in its victory over established political parties, including the ruling APC in Kogi state in the recently concluded National Assembly Election in my constituency has no relationship whatsoever with Hon. James Falake or any other person (s), for that matter.

    “For avoidance of doubt, I wish to place it on record that I am a very successful business mogul capable of sponsoring myself, and to make it straight that I sponsored/inaugurated the party ADC in Yagba Federal Constituency.

    “I single-handedly sponsored myself and all other State Assembly Candidates of the party in Yagba land without receiving a dime from Hon. Faleke of APC.”

    On why he won, he said: “I have always enjoyed the goodwill and support of Yagba Federal Constituency through my over six years unprecedented empowerment programmes for widows, less privileged, students, youths and the aged spread across Yagba land.

    “These credentials, alone earned me the landslide victory at the last National Assembly Election in Yagba land.

    “So, the sponsorship allegation at its best can be described as the figment of imagination of some few demented souls in Kogi APC who are already jittery of their diminishing popularity occasioned by failure of governance of APC in the state.”

  • Total restriction of movement in Plateau over supplementary polls

    A Deputy Inspector-General of Police on electoral duty in Plateau, Taiwo Lakanu, has said that there would be total restriction of movement in the state during the supplementary election scheduled to hold on Saturday, March 23.

    Lakunu, who is in the state to supervise the supplementary election, made this known during a lecture for Police personnel ahead of the election in some parts of the state.

    While commending the Police for the success achieved in the last election, the DIG said that no stone would be left unturned toward ensuring adequate peace and security throughout the exercise.

    Read Also: Plateau: Lalong confident of victory in supplementary polls

    He said that adequate preparations had been made to take care of flashpoints, adding that no form of thuggery would be tolerated.

    “We are not going to allow ballot boxes to be snatched; we will not allow card readers to be snatched. We are ready to deal with every electoral misdeed,” he said.

    Commissioner of Police in Plateau, Mr Isaac Akinmoyede, had commended the men of the force for being outstanding during the last election, and called on them to do more during the supplementary polls.

  • Adamawa elects 2 Assembly members Saturday

    Following a court order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting the supplementary governorship election in Adamawa State on Saturday, all eyes will be on two state constituencies for Assembly members.

    Election either did not take place or was cancelled when governorship and state assembly elections were conducted on March 9 in the constituencies.

    They are: Nasarawo/Biyeri in Mayo-Belwa LGA where State Assembly election was put off on March 9 because a candidate entered for the election died days before thee exercise and Uba/Gaya State Assembly Constituency in Hong LGA where voting was cancelled in some polling units.

    The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Nasarawo/Binyeri state constituency, Adamu Kwanate, had collapsed while campaigning and died in a hospital three days to the election, prompting INEC to hold off the House of Assembly election in the constituency for necessary adjustments.

    The Commission also later announced after the March 9 election, that the House of Assembly election in Uba/Gaya was inconclusive following irregularities in certain polling units.

    Supplementary election in Uba/Gaya would take place in three polling units namely Guw 1, Kumatai and Kurmi Mayolope; while the election in Nasarawo/Binyeri would be conducted in all the 92 polling units of the constituency.

    The head of information and education unit of INEC in the state, Mrs. Rifkatu Duku, affirmed in a telephone interview Thursday night that supplementary election would be held in two state constituencies.

    “Only state assembly supplementary election will hold in Nasarawo/Biyeri state constituency in Mayo Belwa LGA and Uba/Gaya state constituency in Hong LGA,” she said.

    Twenty-three members of the House of Assembly had been elected in the March 9 with ruling APC and main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) having 11 members each.

    One member was elected on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

    The state assembly has a total of 25 seats.

  • Delta Assembly passes FoI bill

    The Delta State House of Assembly has passed the State Freedom of Information Bill.

    The Bill is for a law to make public records and information freely available, provide for public access to public records and information.

    It is also meant to protect public records and information to the extent that is consistent with public interest and the protection of personal privacy; protect serving public officers from adverse consequences of disclosing certain kinds of official information without authorisation and establish procedures for achievement of these purposes and related matters.

    The Bill’s passage followed the consideration of the report of the Joint House Committee of the whole on the bill titled Delta State Freedom of Information Bill following a motion moved by majority leader Tim Owhefere and seconded by Rueben Izeze.

    Delta Speaker, Sheriff Oborevwori, said that members resolved at the committee of the whole the house should suspend the rules and pass the bill.

    Majority Leader Tim Owhefere thereafter moved separate motions for the house to suspend orders 77, 78 and 79 and take the third reading to enable the house pass the bill.

    The motions were seconded by Samuel Marierie and Kennedy Daubry and adopted through voice vote.

  • Flood: Ondo, NEMA distribute relief materials to victims

    Ondo State Government in collaboration with National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has distributed relief materials to persons affected by 2018 flood, windstorm and ocean surge in the state.

    Some of the materials shared are fishing nets, water pumping machine, building materials, sewing machines, grinding machines, foodstuffs, soap and beverages, among others.

    The Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for leading a responsive government that showed concern about the plight of the people.

    Ajayi appreciated NEMA for always available to help bring relief to those affected by one disaster or the other.

    According to him, fishing nets are for the people in Ilaje and Ese-Odo because fishing is their major occupation, while sewing machines and grinding machines are for the people in Akure and other local governments.

    NEMA Director, Mustapha Maihaja, commiserated with the government of Ondo State over the 2018 flood, windstorm and ocean surge in Ilaje, which affected over seven local governments in the state.

    Maihaja, represented by Head of Operations in charge of Ondo, Osun and Ekiti, Mr Olusegun Afolayan, said that incidents of disasters in the country were not only devastating, but a clog in the wheel of progress and economic development of communities.

    He said “I want to assure you of NEMA’s willingness to sustain the collaboration with Ondo State Government to explore long-term and more sustainable solutions to both natural and human-induced disasters.

    A beneficiary, Mrs Olamide Oluwaniyi, thanked the state government for the gesture, saying it would bring happiness to their homes.

  • Southern, Middle Belt leaders back Atiku to challenge poll results

    The Southern and Middle belt leaders have thrown their weight behind the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar’s resolve to challenge outcome of the 2019 presidential poll.

    They also rejected outcome of the poll, saying President Muhammadu Buhari should bear a huge moral burden of the fraud that was perpetrated in the elections.

    The former vice president has challenged the re-election Buhari in court.

    He met with the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders on Wednesday in Abuja where he expressed confidence in the ability of judiciary in doing the right thing on the matter.

    In a communiqué at the end of the regional leaders meeting on Wednesday, the group adjudged the 2019 elections as the lowest moment in the country’s democracy.

    The communiqué was signed by Yinka odumakin South West; Prof Chigozie Ogbu South East; Senator Bassey Henshaw South South; and Dr Isuwa Dogo Middle Belt

    The meeting also condemned the role of the security agencies in the polls, stating that it was very shameful.

    Meeting further resolved to continue to push for the restructuring of the country.

    According to the leaders: “The meeting adjudged the 2019 Elections as the lowest moment in our democratic history as the entire process fell below the minimum standards.

    “The total subversion of the will of the people it represented was premeditated with the refusal of the President to sign the Electoral Bill into Law, the undue militarisation of the polls , intimidation of the electorates especially in demographics considered hostile to the ruling party and impetuous manipulation of figures to achieve preconceived ends

    “The President should bear a huge moral burden that it was under his Presidency that all the democratic gains we made over the years have been reversed when the contrary was expected from him having railed against alleged malpracises in the three previous elections he lost .

    “We reject the declared Winner still: That flowing from (1) above,we cannot accept the declared winner from the elections. We therefore endorsed the decision of Alhaji Abubakar and his party to challenge the results in court as the elections result cannot stand the scrutiny of any self-respecting court .

    “Towards this end, we call on the judiciary to shun the climate of fear that pervades Nigeria to do justice knowing fully well that the gaze of the entire world is on it .

    “We cannot allow the unbecoming role of the military to go unchallenged.

    To this end, we demand a high power inquiry into the role of the military in the subversion of the democratic process so that all the culprits can be brought to book.”

  • PDP accuses soldiers of brutality, electoral violence in Benue

    Leaders of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP ) in Apa Ward, Ado Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State have appealed to the State Police Commissioner over the alleged assault and intimidation of their members during the March 9 governorship election by soldiers on the orders of one Agbese Philip.

    It alleged that Nelson Ogbu, Comrade James Oche, Emmanuel Aboh, Ogbu Ogaba, Innocent Egegwu, Susan Onmonya, Kingsley Onmonya, Otse Unazi, Udah Okibe and the entire PDP Ward executives in the ward were harassed, intimidated by the soldiers led by one Corporal Echo Omerigwe alias Tension.

    According to the petition signed by their lawyer M.S. Agaku, the soldiers also intimidated innocent voters who were sympathetic to the PDP, adding that Agbese who brought them, bragged publicly that they were assigned to him by the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai.

    “Agbese Philip also boasted that as a consultant to the Nigerian Army, he has the capacity and the authority to commit any crime,” it stated.

    Read Also: PDP threatens to boycott Bauchi gov rerun

    The petitioners alleged that Agbese led suspected thugs identified as Attah Adadu, Mike Omerigwe and a corps member serving in Bayelsa State Otse Unazi, among others to New Site Polling Unit where notable members of the PDP were beaten up including the Senior Special Assistant to Benue State Governor on Media Nelson Ogbu and Senior Special Assistant to the former President of the Senate James Oche.

    They said that those assaulted were forced to abandon their Polling Unit for their safety.

    “These assault, threats, intimidation continued in other Polling Units of Azegbilede, RCM Primary School, Austine Chemist, Apa Ugbozu, Methodist Primary school ll, Uwezekoka and many others wherein the Special Adviser to the Governor of Benue State Joseph Ogezi and his fellow voters were brutalized.

    “Ballot Boxes and other electoral materials were forcefully snatched, later thump printed and returned back to INEC office leading to the cancellation of election in 10 affected Polling Units.

    “Agbese Philip, the soldiers and thugs publicly embarked on more terrible acts including but not limited to burning of electoral materials in areas where the APC performed abysmally. These acts affected the outcome of the election in the ward where results of 10 polling units were cancelled,” the petition stated.

    According to the lawyer, the PDP was concerned that in the scheduled rerun, Agbese might exhibit similar attacks, alleging that he was already bragging about the assignment of more soldiers and thugs to him.

    He said if allowed unchecked, could cause grievous body harm to members of the Apa Ward; destroy electoral materials and other conducts capable of causing breach of public peace.
    Calling on the police to investigate those involved with a view to bringing them to justice, the lawyer said actions should also be taken to safeguard life and property in the scheduled rerun.

  • Borno stakeholders back Ndume for Senate President

    As the battle for the leadership of the 9th National Assembly hots up, stakeholders and elders from Borno state have thrown their weight behind their son, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume to emerge as the next President of the Senate

    Addressing a news conference in Abuja on Thursday, the Borno elders on the platform of Concerned Borno Citizens expressed confidence in the ability of Senator Ndume to provide quality leadership for the Senate and partner the executive to offer Nigerians good governance.

    The group, comprising of former governors, former Ministers and other leaders of the APC in Borno state argued that Ndume should be considered for the position considering the fact that Borno state gave the party over 90 percent of the votes from the state in the just concluded election.

    Spokesman of the group and former Ambassador Dauda Danladi said however that while the angling for the position of the Senate President, they are not unaware of the fact that the party will eventually zone the position and the fact that other zones of the country are also agitating for the position.

    He said further that if the party eventually zoned the seat to another zone, they will have no option than to support such zone, but insisted that Ndume was the most qualified person to occupy the seat considering his antecedent as a lawmaker and loyal party man.

    He said: “At this critical moment of our quest for credible leadership, we give glory to God Almighty for the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yeml Osinbajo. We congratulate your Excellencies. We also seize this opportunity to congratulate Members elect of the National Assembly as well as Governors elect and Members of State Assemblies.

    “We pray to Almighty God to give your Excellencies and Parliamentarians at all levels the courage; wisdom and good health to justify the confidence reposed ln you by Nigerians.

    “There is no doubt that the 9th National Assembly has a critical role to play if Government is to actualize all its developmental projects, programs and policies that will propel Nigeria into the industrialized world in the near future. Hence a cooperative partnership driven National Assembly that will support, encourage and work with the executive to accelerate the achievement of socio economic objectives of the Government cannot be overemphasized.

    “It is in this regard that we the Concerned Citizens of Borno are coming forward to urge Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume to contest for the office of the President of the Senate in the 9th National Assembly. We are convinced that Senator Ndume possesses all the qualities and requirements to hold the office of the Senate President being a loyal party man and a ranking Senator.

    “He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2003 and 2007 and held the position of a Minority Leader of the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011, he has been in the Senate since 2011 representing Borno South Senatorial District with distinction.

    “Senator Ndume emerged as the Senate Leader In 2015 and was removed In a controversial circumstance in January 2017 ostensibly for his defense of party policies and for being a loyalist to the Government. His stint as a Lawmaker in both chambers of the National Assembly from 2003 to date are there to speak for themselves, where he stood firm In the cause of his people and contributed immensely In debates and passages of people oriented bills and motions.

    “In the run up to the 2019 elections, he was appointed as the North/East zonal Director for the APC Presidential Campaign Council. In all of the above, Senator Ndume put In his best to achieve the desired results. It is for these and many more reasons that we are commending this illustrious son to Nigerians.

    “Our plea for the Distinguished Senator to seek for the office of the President of the Senate is premised on the fact that the North/East geo-political zone where he hails from gave the President the second highest vote cast. This is in addition to the fact that the region has been ravaged by insurgency from 2009 until the coming of this administration in 2015.

    “Borno State being the epicenter of the crises deserves serious attention. The office of the President of the Senate will therefore offer the state a good opportunity to fast track reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement of millions of displaced persons. It will also be apt to add that Borno state has the highest percentage of 92% of votes cast for President Buhari in the just concluded 2019 election.”