By Funmi Branco THE gang-up was massive. At the eleventh hour, and when it mattered most, friends turned foes and associates turned persecutors. Criticism underlined by pure mischief took over the airwaves and naysayers shouted themselves hoarse, railing against the people’s governor. Their conscience captured by the rustle of naira notes, they called him every ugly name under the sun, from fraudster to ex-convict. The desperation was dramatic: they dug up old photographs and superimposed letters on them to create a false narrative. Social media influencers suborned to subvert democracy swore with every fibre of their being that their fake…
Author: Soffiyyah Olamide
By Abimbola Ogunnaike At least nine Chinese mine workers were killed in an attack at about 5:00 am near Bambari, the central town’s of mayor Abel Matchipata in the Central African Republic. Matchipata told AFP that “nine bodies and two wounded” had been counted, adding that the victims were Chinese workers at a site run by the Gold Coast Group, 25 kilometres (15 miles) from his town. China’s President Xi Jinping on Monday, 20 March, 2023,call on the country to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to book and be “severely” punished. China’s foreign ministry confirmed the toll, and Xi called…
By Abimbola Ogunnaike One of the notorious bandits terrorising residents of North West, Ummaru Nagona, has been killed during an encounter with the military in Zamfara State. Speaking on the killing of the bandit, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, a former Daily Trust Editor, who covered insecurity extensively in the zone, wrote, “I just received confirmation of the killing of the notorious bandit, Ummaru Nagona in an encounter with Nigerian Army. He was crushed along with his rider by an artillery vehicle while being conveyed on a motorcycle on their way to respond to a military attacks on the gunmen’s camps around Kagara,…
By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday, 20 March, 2023, declared the governorship election in Kebbi State as “inconclusive”. The election was a battle between the two political parties- the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The INEC Collation and Returning Officer of the election, Prof. Yusuf Sa’idu of the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, made the announcement at the collation centre situated at INEC headquarters in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital. According to him, there were cancellations in 20 of the 21 local government areas of Kebbi State cutting across a number…
Residents of Lagos have been commended for coming out enmasse to renew the mandate of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to continue with the giant strides he is taking in the Infrastructure renewal across the state. They are also assured of unprecedented collaboration between the Federal and Lagos State Governments to fast track socio-economic development and improved well-being of the people. Former Lagos lawmaker and Chairman of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), Hon Wahab Alawiye-King stated this in a message to congratulate Governor Sanwoolu; his running mate, Dr Kadir Obafemi Hamzat; party leaders and other elected members of the…
The Ogun state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the reported call by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for a rerun of the just concluded gubernatorial election in Ogun state as an indication that the PDP and one of its major promoters, former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, are “bunch of sore losers”. The APC through its State Publicity Secretary, Tunde Oladunjoye, in a statement released on Sunday, 19 March, 2023, in Abeokuta, said such a vile call, coming barely few minutes after the declaration of results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and…
By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has confirmed that four party agents were intercepted in Ogun with multiple credit cards with the intent to buy votes amid the Governorship and State Assembly Elections. The NDLEA, in a tweet on Saturday, 18 March, 2023 noted that its Chairman, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (rtd.), had ordered that the suspects be handed over to the police. “Operatives of @ndleanigeria on election duty stop and search, just intercepted four party agents with hundreds of money credit cards, to buy votes at Ibara housing estate, Ogun state. Each card contains 10k and activated…
By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) On Saturday, 18 March, 2023 confirmed the arrest of 65 persons for alleged voter inducement in Saturday, 18 March, 2023 Governorship and State Assembly Elections. The EFCC said that the suspects were nabbed across the 28 states where governorship elections were held. In a statement issued by EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said 20 of the suspects were arrested by its operatives from the Ilorin Zonal Command, while 13 were nabbed at the Kaduna Zonal Command. “The teams monitoring the polls in the Port Harcourt Zone arrested a total of 12…
By Abimbola Ogunnaike The Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) has declared Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State as winner of the election in Offa Local Government Area of the state. According to the results announced at the LGA Collation Centre, Abdulrazaq polled a total of 14,696 votes ahead of Shuaibu Yaman, his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 6,705 votes. Abdulrazaq is one of the 11 Governors seeking re-election. Below are the details from Offa LG as announced by INEC: Local Government: Offa Local GovernmentElection Type: Governorship ElectionNo of Registered Voters: 97,945No of Accredited Voters: 34,115No. of valid votes: 23,531No. of…
By Abimbola Ogunnaike President Muhammadu Buhari, on Saturday, 18 March, 2023 said his administration had been preaching against vote-buying and monetisation of politics, and called on politicians to desist from such acts. “If they (politicians) still give you money, collect but vote for your preferred candidates,” Buhari said. President Buhari, who voted at polling unit 003, Sarkin Yara A in Daura, Katsina State, called on the electorate to vote for their preferred candidates, even if politicians tried to offer them money. The president-elect, Bola Tinubu and his opponents, candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party…