The Independent National Electoral Commission, on Monday, recorded a total of 239,746 uncollected Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the November 11 governorship polls in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo States.

This was as the commission noted that 5,169,692 registered voters who collected their PVCs would cast their votes on November 11, 2023.

INEC disclosed this in a statement signed by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun.

The commission noted that 39,249 uncollected PVCs were recorded in Bayelsa; 101,003 in Imo; and 99,494 in Kogi States, respectively.

Olumekun stated, “The Commission met today, Monday 30th October 2023, specifically to review the ongoing preparations for the off-cycle Governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States scheduled for Saturday, November 11, 2023.

“As was done in recent elections, including the 2023 general election, the commission is publishing the comprehensive information of collected and uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards in the three States on a polling unit basis.

“The information also gives the distribution of the polling units by Local Government Areas, Registration Areas/Wards, the names of the polling units, their code numbers, the number of registered voters and the number of collected as well as uncollected PVCs.”

“Equally significantly, the list provides the names and locations of the two polling units in Bayelsa State and 38 in Imo State without registered voters.

“The breakdown for the three states indicates that out of 1,056,862 registered voters in Bayelsa State, 1,017,613 have collected their PVCs and 39, 249 are uncollected. In Imo State, the number of registered voters is 2,419,922 out of which 2,318,919 have collected their PVCs and 101,003 are uncollected, while in Kogi State, out of 1,932,654 registered voters, 1,833,160 have collected their PVCs and leaving 99,494 uncollected.

“The detailed information has been uploaded to the Commission’s website www.inecnigeria.org,” the national commissioner noted.

I have been greatly disturbed by the reported developments in Rivers State in the last 24 hours. I have been reliably informed that there is a plot to unlawfully remove the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Siminalaye Fubara, who has spent only about 5 months in office.

I understand the sad episode is being orchestrated by the immediate past Governor of Rivers State and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike. And that the intention is to remove the Governor, force his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu to resign, and install the Speaker of the House of Assembly, another Ikwerre person as the governor of the State.
Let me warn strongly, we won't allow that to happen!

President Bola Tinubu must call Nyesom Wike and the security agencies in Rivers State to order, to avert any untold crisis in Rivers State.

Last night, the hallowed chamber of the Rivers State House of Assembly was burnt, in what apparently is part of the plot to destabilize the State.

The Governor was tear-gassed and was even threatened with being shot at when he visited the Assembly Complex after the incident, to assess the level of damage.

We are not in a barbaric state where people can do whatever they like; we are in a democracy and the tenets of constitutional democracy must be upheld by all
Rivers people have suffered enough political crises, the state should not be allowed to degenerate again into its dark past, and the Niger Delta Region by extension. The consequences would be dire for the stability of the region and the National Economy.

What has Governor Fubara done wrong? Refusing to be further "remote controlled"?

Mr. Nyesom Wike was Governor for 8 years, nobody hassled him. He governed Rivers State like an Emperor, he did not show any iota of respect and regard to anyone, not even those who imposed him on Rivers people in 2015.

President Tinubu must act fast and avert the unfolding crisis in Rivers State in the interest of his administration, the nation's democracy, and the Country at large.

A WORD IS ENOUGH FOR THE WISE!

Signed:

Chief E. K. Clark, OFR, CON
National Leader, South-South/PANDEF

Members of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria have reportedly shut down the gates to the Edo State House of Assembly.

Reports obtained by Naija News revealed that the action was in response to the ultimatum for the implementation of financial autonomy in legislative houses across the country.

As a result, the lawmakers were unable to access the chamber, leading to a protest in front of the Assembly.

The Chairman of PASAN Edo state Chapter, Umaru Farouk Haruna, stated that the national president of PASAN, Comrade Mohammed Usman, had instructed all chairmen and secretaries to mobilize members for full compliance with the nationwide peaceful protest.

Naija News understands that the protest was initiated after the government and governors of the 36 states failed to meet the two-day ultimatum for autonomy implementation, which was later extended by one week and concluded on October 27, 2023.

“The issue of autonomy is a constitutional matter. You know it has been passed by the National Assembly and was assented to by the immediate past president Muhammadu Buhari.

“All we need is for the government to start implementation. But as we speak today, nothing has been done. The 36 states of Houses of Assembly, you can call them rubber stamps. They can’t stand on their feet simply because they are not autonomous. We are not just fighting for the staff, we are fighting to deepen the dividends of democracy for Nigerians.

“The essence of separation of power is when autonomy is in operation, but as we speak today, the governors are doing whatever they like, and nobody is asking them questions. The Houses of Assembly dare not speak because they are not autonomous bodies. This is the struggle we are in,” Haruna said.

The world football governing body, FIFA, has slammed a three-year ban on former president of the Spanish Football Association, Luis Rubiales on Monday, October 30.

This means that Luis Rubiales who has been wrapped in legal battles after planting a kiss on the lips of Spanish forward, Jenni Hermoso following Spain’s triumph over England in the 2023 Women’s World Cup final, no longer has the right to participate in any form of professional football for three years.

Initially, the world football governing body, temporarily banned him from football for 90 days before he reigned as Spanish FA president in September.

After carrying out disciplinary procedures on Luis Rubiales, FIFA found the 46-year-old Spanish football administrator guilty of breaking Article 13 of its disciplinary code.

While Rubiales maintained that the kiss he planted on the female footballer’s lips during the 2023 Women’s World Cup medal presentation ceremony was “mutual” and “consensual”, Hermoso claimed the kiss was not consensual and filed a lawsuit which has been upgraded to a criminal suit.

While confirming Rubiales’ three-year ban from every football-related activities, FIFA said the case concerned “events that occurred during the Fifa Women’s World Cup final on August 20, 2023, for which Mr. Rubiales had been provisionally suspended for an initial period of 90 days”.

FIFA added: “By the relevant provisions of the Fifa disciplinary code, he has 10 days in which to request a motivated decision, which, if requested, would subsequently be published on legal.fifa.com. The decision remains subject to a possible appeal before the Fifa appeal committee.

“Fifa reiterates its absolute commitment to respecting and protecting the integrity of all people and ensuring that the basic rules of decent conduct are upheld.”

Even though Luis Rubiales has been banned by FIFA, the criminal suit against him in connection with the kissing scandal which has been filed in a national court in Madrid will continue.

During the hearing in September, the court ordered him not to go 200 meters close to Hermoso.

Nigerian talismanic striker, Victor Osimhen has insisted that he is contented at Italian Serie A club, Napoli, despite all the uncertainty concerning his future.

Recall that Victor Osimhen finished last season as Serie A’s top scorer after recording 26 goals which helped Napoli to win the Serie A title for the first time in 33 years.

Due to his prolific performance last season, Osimhen was reportedly on the wish lists of Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, and Chelsea.

However, the clubs couldn’t do much as Aurelio de Laurentiis, the president of Napoli, insisted on receiving more than £100 million in exchange for the Nigerian international.

While the interested parties moved on to other targets, Osimhen stayed in Naples and started the 2023–2024 season with a respectable six goals and one assist from ten games.

As the 24-year-old approaches the final two years of his contract with Napoli, amid trouble in coming to an agreement with the club regarding a contract renewal, his long-term future is still far from certain.

Additionally, Osimhen was the subject of two odd Napoli TikTok videos that appeared to mock the striker. The club reportedly issued a private apology to the player after the striker’s agent threatened to sue the team over the incident.

On the other hand, Napoli’s president had made hints that Osimhen would be sold in 2024 if he did not agree to a new deal. It was reported that this had put Chelsea and Liverpool, who are reportedly in the lead to sign Osimhen, on red alert.

However, Victor Osimhen insisted in a recent Twitch interview with Mario Balotelli and Emiliano Viviano that he is “happy at Napoli”.

He added: “People don’t know how difficult it is to play in Serie A. From a tactical and physical point of view, it’s one of the most difficult leagues to play in.”

Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election, Atiku Abubakar, says Nigeria is in trouble if the Supreme Court implies that crime should be rewarded.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the February 25 election, but Atiku rejected the result and headed for the court.

The Presidential Elections Petition Tribunal had dismissed his suit and upheld Tinubu’s victory.

Dissatisfied, Atiku headed for the Supreme Court and subsequently sought to include additional “forgery evidence” which he obtained from the Chicago State University, but the court objected to this on the grounds that plea was made outside the 180-day mandatory period stipulated by the law.

Speaking at a World Press Conference Monday in Abuja, Atiku said Nigeria and not himself was the bigger loser of the Apex Court judgement.

“If the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, implies by its judgment that crime is good and should be rewarded, then Nigeria has lost and the country is doomed irrespective of who occupies the Presidential seat.

“If the Supreme Court decides that the Electoral umpire, INEC, can tell the public one thing and then do something else in order to reach a corruptly predetermined outcome, then there is really no hope for the country’s democracy and electoral politics.

“Obviously, the consequences of those decisions for the country will not end at the expiration of the current government. They will last for decades. I am absolutely sure that history will vindicate me. We now know what the Supreme Court has decided,” he said.

The governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Bayelsa State, Engr Udengs Eradiri, has said that he is aspiring to become the governor of the state to rescue it from bad governance, noting that with the growing grassroots support his campaign has received so far he will demystify money politics come the November 11 poll.

Speaking during his campaign tour in Nembe City, Opu Nembe and Otakeme communities in Nembe and Ogbia LGAs, Eradiri said he was overwhelmed by the crowd that trooped out to receive him, adding that his aspiration was to become a people-oriented leader that would provide mentorship to young people and reposition the state for greatness.

He lamented the crisis that had befallen Nembe and assured them that if elected his administration would focus on the development of the area and stop all forms of politically-induced unrest.

He promised to develop all communities in the state when elected, insisting that the state was suffering from bad leadership and clueless government.

In Otakeme community, Eradiri promised to generate employment for the youths while lamenting the death of the over 10 Bayelsa-owned establishments.

He told the people to collect money from moneybags on Election Day and vote for him, insisting that voters must avoid making a wrong choice at the poll, explaining that with the 243 megawatts power in Gbarain community, 24-hour power supply was possible in Bayelsa State when he was sworn in come February 14, 2024.

He further said, “We are the second poorest state with the highest school dropouts in the whole of the country, which is very sad. I am moving across all the communities of our state selling my manifesto.

“I will change the old order of doing things. I will not clap hands for myself for building roads, infrastructural development and other social amenities which ordinarily are the rights of the people. Together we will make Bayelsa work again.

“If we don’t tell ourselves the truth, we will be left behind. Most states have gone far while we are in retrogression. I have the solution to the problems of the people; I have a stronger message than any other party flag bearer. Let us make a choice that we won’t regret tomorrow.”

The war between Israel and Hamas could trigger price shocks for raw materials such as oil and agriculture products if the conflict escalates across the Middle East, the World Bank warned in a report Monday.

Oil has already risen six per cent since the latest round of fighting, sparked when Hamas militants from Gaza stormed southern Israel and killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and seized nearly 240 hostages, according to Israeli officials.

Israel has responded with an unrelenting bombardment of Gaza, which the Hamas-run health ministry says has killed more than 8,000 people, nearly half of them children.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas comes as Russia’s war in Ukraine has already put pressure on markets, with that war being “the biggest shock to commodity markets since the 1970s,” warned World Bank chief economist Indermit Gill.

“That had disruptive effects on the global economy that persist to this day,” Gill said in a statement.

“Policymakers will need to be vigilant. If the conflict were to escalate, the global economy would face a dual energy shock for the first time in decades” from both the war in Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East, he said.

Many potential price hikes will depend on what happens to world oil prices and exports, the World Bank said.

In an optimistic scenario, oil could rise 3-13 per cent, between $93 and $102 per barrel.

A median scenario envisages prices rising up to $121, while a worst-case scenario would see oil reach a peak of between $140 and $157 – potentially exceeding all-time highs not seen since 2008.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed a top prosecutor for the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), and six others as new aides.

Tinubu deployed the new appointees to the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja, where they will work under the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.

The new appointees include:

1. Kamarudeen Ogundele, Special Assistant to the President on Communication and Publicity

2. Hussein Oloyede, Special Assistant on Arbitration, Drafting and Regulations

3. Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), Special Assistant on Financial Crimes and Public Prosecution Compliance.

3. Monsurat Gafar, Special Assistant on Coordination and Intergovernmental Agency Relations

4. Marcus-Obiene Fernández, Special Assistant on Justice Sector Reforms And Ict/Digital and Innovative Technology

5. Ahmed Wada, Special Assistant on Special Duties

6. Tolu Obamuroh, Technical Adviser on Oil and Gas, Arbitration and International Disputes

Years ago when the comedian, Bright "Basketmouth" Okpocha, was just starting out, he told this joke that made everyone laugh but made me quite reflective and rather sad.

I'm unable to reproduce the joke verbatim so will paraphrase but the gist of it is as follows:

"When God was creating the world, He began to invest different countries with various natural resources which He placed in the ground.

"Some countries got more natural resources than others, some got only one natural resource while some, like Japan, didn't seem to get any at all!

"Then it came to the turn of Nigeria and God just kept dumping one natural resource after another into the ground.

"He put gold, iron ore, tin, columbite, coal and so on and so forth in different parts of Nigeria.

"The citizens God had created to inhabit the various countries of the world were there gathered at the time and most of them began to wonder why God seemed to be acting with partiality when it came to this particular country.

"By the time God got to the Niger Delta and began to bury humongous quantities of crude oil and even far greater amounts of natural gas into the ground, they could not hold themselves back any longer and politely approached God for clarifications.

"They said to God: 'Please, do not be offended, our most holy Creator, but why are you favouring this particular country, Nigeria, over the ones the rest of us will belong to?'

"God turned to them and said: 'Oh ye men of little sense, is it on account of the raw materials and what not that I am loading into this country that makes you all murmur from envy?

"They said to God: 'Yes, Lord because we know you are the God of natural justice, even of equity and of good conscience and that you are always fair and just.'

And God said to them: 'Do not be jealous; just wait for the kind of people I will put in the country.'"

I do not think there is anything intrinsically wrong with Nigerians but there is much merit to Mr Okpocha's joke, and manifestly so from the perspective of what we have made of our country all these decades, in spite of its awesome potentials.

We are presently at a very challenging moment in this nation but, at least, we now have in President Bola Tinubu, a chief executive with respect to whom there is absolutely no longer any question as to his legitimacy as President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Tinubu is our undisputed President now and we would be wise, as a nation, to make the best of that reality, going forward.

Leaders are only effective to that extent to which they are invested with the support of those they lead.

Indeed, the led do well for themselves to ply their leaders with the requisite quantum of support without which it would be quite impossible to deliver good governance to them.

Given the truly onerous amount of work required to be done, fundamental changes are unavoidable, profound reform is indispensable, and a total overhaul of "our way of doing things" is inevitable.

The transformation required must be studiously and sustainably implemented even as the rent-collector cabals and thieving cartels in various sectors of our government and economy are crushed and totally dismantled if we are to make any real progress.

Whether we like our President or not, he will require our support to be able to do so and we would be wise to lend him that support, indeed, in our own best interest and for our own good.

The election cycle is now finally over and it is time to move on.

Our President's traditional title is "Asiwaju", the one who leads from the front.

Let us let him lead.

Onokpasa, a lawyer, was a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Campaign Council, and writes from Abuja.