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*Mr Thomas Joel-Onowakpo, Senator-elect of APC. (Nigeria) Michael Diden, candidate of the People's Democratic Party, PDP, has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, before the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal in Asaba, Delta State. Specifically, Diden and his party, the PDP, in their petition marked EPT/DT/SEN/ 01/2023, are asking the tribunal to void INEC's declaration of candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr Thomas Joel-Onowakpo as Senator-elect. They predicated their request on the grounds that Joel-Onowakpo "was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election" and the his election "was invalid by reason of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022". In the petition dated and filed on March 17, 2023, by their team of lawyers led by Chief Ayo Asala, SAN, the petitioners amongst others are seeking an order of the tribunal "collating the results of the elect...

*Agba Jalingo (Nigeria) A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday, ordered the remanded of a journalist and publisher of an online news outlet, CrossRiverWatch, Mr. Agba Jalingo, in Kuje prison custody, accused of publishing an article that disparaged one Mrs. Elizabeth Ayade,  wife of the younger brother of Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State. Jalingo, who is a frontline critic of the governor Ayade's administration, was accused of engaging in false publication that was intended to cause annoyance, ill will and insult to the person of Mrs. Ayade. He pleaded not guilty to the charge. Trial judge, Justice Zainab Abubakar remanded Jalingo at Kuje prison. He was arraigned on a two-count charge brought against him by the police. The charge is punishable under Section 24 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act 2015. Meanwhile, following his arraignment, the prosecution applied for a trial date, which was not opposed by the defence counsel. Jalingo...

* Alex Otti, Abia governor-elect and Peter Mbah, Enugu governor-elect (Nigeria) Pan-Igbo sociopolitical pressure group, the South East Revival Group, SERG, has congratulated the newly elected governors of Abia State, Alex Otti, and his Enugu State counterpart, Peter Mbah, as well as Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, for their respective victory at the polls. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Mbah, as the winner of the March 18, 2023, governorship election in Enugu State and Mr. Otti as the winner of the governorship polls in Abia State. While Mr. Mbah polled a total of 160,895 valid votes to defeat his closest rival, Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party, LP, who scored 157,552 votes. * Francis Nwifuru, Ebonyi State governor-elect On the other hand, Mr. Otti, a former Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank Plc, scored 175,467 votes to defeat his closest contender and immediate-past Chief of Staf...

* Governorship candidate of Labour Party, LP, in Lagos State,  Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (Nigeria) Governorship candidate of Labour Party, LP, in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, Sunday, said results from his field agents (LP) demonstrates across the state in the March 18, poll showed that he defeated Babajide Sanwo-Olu of All Progressives Congress , APC. Gbadebo in a series of tweets, said : “Firstly, I would like to thank all Lagosians, especially our supporters for coming out to vote yesterday (Saturday) for us. I’m convinced that with you in our corner, a new Nigeria is imminent. “However, I am saddened by the confirmed reports of violence and gross disenfranchisement of voters who only wished to perform their civic duty. “Attacks on polling units, voters, and our party agents are totally antithetical to what we stand for & what Lagos truly represents. “Collusion between the ruling party and electoral officials to return the candidate of the APC is a slap on the ...

* Ikenga Ugochinyere, country home in  Akokwa, Ideato Local Government Area of Imo State attacked by hoodlums on Saturday  (Nigeria)  Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Saraki has condemned the attack by some gunmen on the home of Mr. Ikenga Ugochinyere, the spokesperson of the Coalition of United Political Parties , CUPP , located in Akokwa, Ideato Local Government Area of Imo State. Saraki in a statement from his media office noted that while media reports stated that the compound was set ablaze and some residents were shot leading to the death of Ugochinyere’s uncle, the situation which looked like a targeted attack on the home of a candidate in the coming elections was a sad commentary on the nation’s democracy. “Coming a few weeks to the general elections and given the recent experiences of the CUPP spokesman and House of Representatives candidate of our great party, the PDP, Ikenga Ugochinyere, there is the general belief that the attack is politically motiv...

(Nigeria) About 169  i ndividuals from vulnerable households have been trained ,  yesterday ,  in Benin City , Edo State,  to benefit from the Nigeria CARES  (COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus  (N-CARES) code named EDO-CARES) grants in Edo. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Humanitarian Affairs ,  Mrs .  Ifueko Alufohai, during a one-day livelihood support training and orientation organised by the State Cash Transfer Unit .  SCTU, explaining that the beneficiaries would be given grants ranging from N20,000 to N200,000. Alufohai explained that the N-CARES was an emergency Relief World Bank funded  p rogramme put in place to ameliorate the adverse effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on livelihoods ,  especially of the operators of businesses in the informal sector. The Head, State Cash Transfer Unit, Flora Bossey in her welcome address said the programme was designed for economically active  y outh and...

*President Muhammadu Buhari (Nigeria) Conference Of Nigeria Political Parties , CNPP , has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately reverse the appointment of suspected members of the All Progressives Congress , APC , as Resident Electoral Commissioners , RECs and other positions of the Independent National Electoral Commission , INEC , if the President means well for Nigeria. The CNPP's Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu in a statement told President Buhari to “at least pay Nigeria back with a free, fair and credible elections in 2023.” According to the CNPP, “ H aving been a beneficiary of unconstitutional change of power in 1983 as a military head of state and later transformed into a democrat and eventually got the endorsement of Nigerians who elected him as President in 2015, it will be extremely unfair to Nigeria for President Muhammadu Buhari to scuttle the transition to another administration in 2023. “Section 14(2a) of the Third Schedule of the 1999 ...

*Federal High Court, Lagos (Nigeria) Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, and Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, have asked a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, to stop  President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, from “the arbitrary use of the NBC Act and broadcasting code to threaten, revoke and shut down 53 broadcast stations in the country for allegedly failing to renew their licenses.” Joined in the suit as Defendant is Mr Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture. The NBC had last week revoked the licenses of the 53 broadcast stations and threatened to shut down their operations within 24 hours over alleged N2.6 billion debt.  The NBC has now asked the stations “to pay all outstanding license fees on or before August 23, 2022, or shut down by 12am on August 24.” In the suit number FHC/L/CS/1582/2022 filed today at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP and NGE are asking the court to determine “whether section ...

*Olu of Warri, Atuwatse III (Nigeria) Delta State All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, governorship candidate for 2023 general elections, Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru, has said the Olu of Warri, Atuwatse III, has set a pace and transportation agenda for visible development for the ltsekiri nation, Delta State and Nigeria at large. Ogboru, who made this observation during the Olu of Warri one year coronation thanksgiving service in Warri, on Sunday said with the new trend of Olu of Warri, Itsekiri nation, Warri and Delta State will no doubt experience a new facelift. He e said: “I congratulate His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III on his coronation anniversary as the 21st Olu of Warri Kingdom. He has Indeed set a new trend and pace for visible development in Delta State. With this new trend, the dilapidated face of Warri and Delta State at large would be restored." The APGA governorship candidate, who is popularly known as "The Peoples General" said the Olu of Warri, t...

(Nigeria) Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Monday, accused Senator Orji Kalu of br inging Fulani terrorists to Igbo land  during his time as Abia State Governor, following his alleged call on t he Nigerian Army to flush out IPOB and Eastern Security Network, ESN , out of Ohafia, Isiukwuato, Umunneochi and Bende Local Government Areas of the state. IPOB said it has nothing against anybody issuing order against it but was waiting for him and the Nigerian Army, to carry out the order, as it is not enough giving order. IPOB in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said: "The attention of the global family and movement of IPOB, under the leadership and command of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wish to let the public know that IPOB leadership and members have been acquainted with the threat from the former Governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, where he has given order to the compromised Nigeria s ecurity agencies to wipe out IPOB-ESN staying in the bushes and f...

*Tompolo (Nigeria) The House of Representatives candidate of the All Progressives Congress , APC , for Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency in Ondo State,  Donald Ojogo , has berated what he described as "unexciting " opposition by some northern youth groups to the oil pipeline e contract awarded to the leader and founder of the defunct Movement for the Emnacipation of the Niger Delta,  Government Ekpemupolo,  alias Tompolo. Ojogo specifically lamented the "gross ignorance" exhibit ed by the Amalgamated Arewa Youth Groups which lampooned the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government for bending backwards to appease Tompolo. But Ojogo , who is the immediate past Commissioner for Information in Ondo S tate , said the decision of President Buhari, through the NNPC to review the situation in the Niger Delta was a good development that should be applauded by all lovers of the nation. In a chat with newsmen in Abuja, the House of Representatives candidate ...

(Nigeria) Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project , SERAP , has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to “urgently instruct Mr Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, and the National Broadcasting Commission , NBC ,  to urgently withdraw the threat to revoke the licenses and shut down the operations of 53 broadcast stations in the country over alleged failure to renew their licenses.” The NBC had last week revoked the licenses of the 53 broadcast stations and threatened to shut down their operations within 24 hours over alleged N2.6 billion debt. The NBC has now asked the stations “to pay all outstanding license fees on or before August 23, 2022 or shut down by 12am on August 24.” But in a letter signed by SERAP ’s deputy director , Kolawole Oluwadare, the organi s ation said, “The threat to shut down 53 broadcast stations is neither necessary nor proportionate. If carried out, it would offend the legal principles of equity and equality of access to mass commu...

(Nigeria) The Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, has expressed concern over the shutting down of over 50 broadcast stations by the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, for failing to pay their renewal licence fees.  In a statement by its President, Mustapha Isah and the General Secretary, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, on Friday, the professional body of all the editors in Nigeria said that the action, if not reversed, will lead to the loss of thousands of jobs in a country where jobs are scarce.  “The NGE is worried because media houses, which  played  and continue to pay a key  role in the nurturing and  development of democracy can't just be off air no matter the reasons.  “While the Guild  is not against broadcast stations fulfilling their financial obligations to the NBC, we note that the current harsh operating environment that has crippled every sector in our nation was not taken into account by the NBC before its action. “Currently, it is difficult for...