The Labour Party’s (LP) Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of cloning electoral fraudsters as leaders and wasting the country’s time and resources.

Obi and LP warned in their final address to the Presidential Election Petitions Court on July 23, 2023, that if the court does not whip INEC into line to perform its electoral duties fairly, impartially, and independently, elections in Nigeria will remain a fraud.

Obi and LP accused INEC of abandoning its primary statutory responsibility as an electoral umpire and proudly putting on the toga of a candidate in the election.

They claimed INEC spent 5.5 pages of its address, tragically and embarrassingly, defending the ground on the non-qualification of the second respondent (Tinubu).

They stated;

In the case of PDP v. Alechenu (2019) LPELR-49199 (CA), this honourable court admonished the 1st Respondent (INEC), who appears to have misunderstood its public duty, thus: Often one finds cases where INEC plays games with election materials and would not allow the petitioner(s) access to documents used in the conduct of the election, even with court order(s) to produce same, as in this case, thus playing the cards of the declared winner, openly, to frustrate the petition.

Obi also stated that INEC used modern technology to conduct the 2023 General Election in accordance with the mandatory provisions of the Electoral Act of 2022, the INEC Regulations and Guidelines, and the INEC Manual.

By this, INEC represented and assured that it would use Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the accreditation of voters in the polling units and the upload/transmission of the results of the election in real-time on the day of the election to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

However, contrary to the requirement of the law and in manifest disregard of its own representations, the 1st respondent (INEC) abandoned and discarded the much expected upload/transmission of the result of the election in real time on the day of the election from the polling unit to the IReV.

Rather, and very strangely, blurred, unreadable and inaccessible documents/images were uploaded by the 1st respondent to the IReV purporting same to be the result of the election in various polling units. These blurred images and inaccessible documents were purported to be the result of the election in the polling units. The net result of the upload of the blurred images on the IReV, was that the result of the election could neither be authenticated nor verified, and thus, lacked credibility and transparency.

The 1st respondent’s contention that the ‘collation of the election result’ remained a manual process is patently false and seems to have disregarded the express provisions of the Electoral Act, Regulations and Manual for the election. Collation of election results at all the stages of the election process specifically provide for electronic transmission to the IReV which is part of the collation system under the Electoral Act.

The authority of the Federal High Court determination in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1454/2022 relied upon by the 1st respondent in its final address and heavily harped upon in its argument is per incuriam and in manifest contradiction of the binding later decision of the Supreme Court in Appeal No: SC/CV/508/2023, OYETOLA v. INEC delivered on 9th May 2023, in (2023) LPELR-60392 (SC).

Despite the 1st respondent’s claim that the hardcopies of the forms EC8A were allegedly used for the manual collation of the election (which by that reasoning ought to be in the 1st respondent’s custody/possession), the 1 respondent nevertheless gave to the petitioners as certified copies of the electoral forms, including alleged forms EC8As, blurred/blank/extraneous copies.

The alleged hardcopies of the forms EC8A claimed to have been used for the manual collation were neither produced in court nor certified copies thereof tendered in court by the 1st respondent.

Arsonists set fire to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) campaign office in Lokoja, Kogi state’s capital.

Suspected thugs were said to have stormed the party office in the state capital’s Paparanda Square on IBB Driveway around midnight.

According to witnesses, the attackers chased away the campaign office’s security guards before setting fire to the party office.

Valuables and documents were among the items destroyed. Vehicles parked inside the campaign headquarters were also set on fire.

The SDP Deputy governorship candidate for the November 11gubernatorial election, Dr Sam Ranti Abenemi,

said: “The hoodlums came in large numbers and set all the properties in the office on fire, including generators, computers, campaign materials, and televisions”.

However, he called on the party’s supporters to remain calm, stressing that the party would address the issue at the appropriate quarters.

Meanwhile, the Director, Communication of the SDP standard bearer, Faruk Adejoh-Audu, said;

We invite the world and all people of good conscience to come to the aid of Kogi State by rising to condemn these sustained brazen acts of abuse of power.

This trend has continued despite our repeated outcries and formal complaint to the security agencies against the known perpetrators of this acts of extreme electoral violence.

We have again formally incidented another complaint at the Kogi State Police Command for whatever it is worth but we have no confidence in the ability of security agencies in Lokoja to rein in this arsonists.

PPRO (Police Public Relations Officer) in Kogi, SP William Aya, who was contacted about the incident, promised to contact our reporter but had not done so as of the time this story was filed.

Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, the SDP’s standard bearer, was reportedly stopped in Lokoja on his way from Idah to Abuja on Sunday to inspect the burnt office, which was vandalized on June 9, 2023.

One Waliu Olamilekan, a fuel attendant, has been arrested and he is standing trial for theft and damage.

The 39-year-old was arraigned before a Badagry Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly stealing N3,464,000 at BFO filling station in Badagry.

The defendant, whose residential address was not divulged, is standing trial on a three-count charge of unlawful entry, malicious damage and stealing, for which he pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor, Inspector Ayodele Adeosun told the court that the defendant committed the offences on July 9, at about 11.30am at Pipeline, Araromi-Ale, Badagry Expressway, Lagos.

Adeosun said the defendant allegedly broke into the office of the manager of the station, Mrs Titilope Falola, the complainant and made away with the money.

“He damaged the burglary window valued at N45,000, the bulk room and the drawer of the Manager’s office.

“The defendant also stole the sum of N3, 464,000 million, property of BFO Filling Station.

“The Police recovered the stolen money from where he hid it.

“The offences contravene Sections 307, 339 and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015,’’ he said.

The Magistrate, Mr T.A Popoola, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N1,000,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Popoola said one of the sureties should produce evidence of a statement of account worth N1m and three years of tax address verification.

She adjourned the case until August 21, for mention. (NAN)

Reports have indicated that All Progressives Congress (APC) party chieftains are strongly against the nomination of former governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike as a minister in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.

Naija News reports that the president, who is under obligation by the constitutional provision to present his ministerial list within 60 days of his inauguration, has only three days left to the expiration of the window.

According to sources who spoke to Vanguard, there has been anxiety over the list due to information that the President has been editing the list he previously prepared.

A highly placed source told the publication that the president has made it clear that he has an interest in Rivers, Kano and Lagos states and would like to personally choose ministerial nominees from the three states, while the Vice President, Kashim Shettima is said to have been given the leeway to nominate ministers from the North-East.

However, in the case of Rivers, party leaders are divided as the majority of them have reportedly opposed the purported nomination of former Governor Nyesom Wike.

It was gathered that those against Wike have officially written to President Tinubu, while other party members who worked hard for APC victory, have threatened to dump the party should the President abandon those that laboured to ensure that the party existed in the state despite what they described as the hostile environment created by the ruling PDP.

Super Eagles’ captain, Ahmed Musa, has slashed the price of petrol per litre at his filling station in Kano.

Naija News reports that the 30-year-old professional footballer announced the reduction of the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) via his Twitter page on Monday.

Musa revealed that the product is sold at N580 at MYCA7, his petrol station in Kano, against the N620 per litre price in the state.

“Fuel #580 @MYCA -7 Filling Station Kano,” Musa wrote on his verified Twitted page.

The footballer is presumed to have reduced the price of fuel to provide succour to vehicle owners in the state.

It was gathered that motorists and citizens of Kano have been expressing their gratituted to Musa’s gesture.

The PUNCH quoted a citizen of the state, Usman Muhammad, to have said: “It’s a welcome development; I can now save some money instead of buying at a higher cost,” after buying the fuel.

Naija News understands that Musa’s action has also sparked reactions on social media.

Curious with the announcement, a Twitter user, Scala [@lakaas123], enquired, “How manage Alhaji? N580 in Kano when not in Lagos? Are you whining us?”.

Musa, however, replied saying “That is what me I decide to sell my own.”

Musa currently plays as a forward and left winger for Turkish Süper Lig club Sivasspor and the Nigeria national team.

Recall that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) had announced an increase in the petrol pump price to N617 per litre a few days ago, a development that has caused more untold hardship for Nigerians.

Travellers are expressing their disappointment and frustrations as airfares continue to skyrocket, making it increasingly difficult for individuals to embark on their desired trips. The rising costs, coupled with economic uncertainties, have left many passengers in a state of dismay.

About two weeks after President Bola Tinubu promised to unify the nation’s multiple exchange rates, the apex bank decided to float the naira at the Investor’s and Exporters’ Window of the foreign exchange market. Since then, the naira had fallen from N471/dollar to N867/$.

With this development, Nigerians, particularly, intending international students hoping to resume school in September, had been greatly impacted by the unpredictable fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.

The prices of air tickets had skyrocketed, making it increasingly difficult for Nigerians to travel, especially when compared to neighbouring countries such as Benin and Ghana, where airfares are notably cheaper.

The current policy of floating the Naira had done little to alleviate the situation. As the exchange rate continued to rise, most foreign airlines’ funds were trapped within Nigeria, due to a scarcity of dollars in the market. This scenario created a problematic landscape for Nigerians who depended on reasonably priced flights to go about their business.

In an exclusive chat with The PUNCH in Abuja, Ade Johnson, a potential traveller, noted that although he had not yet booked his flight, he had noticed a significant increase in prices compared to a few months earlier.

He disclosed that many Nigerians had started exploring alternative options. One popular choice was to travel via the Benin Republic, where airfares were considerably cheaper. Additionally, the proximity of Benin Republic to Lagos, with a travel time of less than an hour, mades it an enticing proposition for cost-conscious travellers.

He said, “Though, I have not booked my flight, prices have gone up compared to what was obtainable some months ago. Lagos to London was around 350k in May for the airline I booked, but the same route goes for 750k or more now.

“The best alternative option is to travel through Benin republic where air tickets are cheaper and it’s less than an hour drive from Lagos.”

Moreover, the Fx situation had created additional challenges for Nigerian students, including increased payment for tuition fees, visa expenses, the International Health Surcharge, and the need to provide proof of funds for maintenance and upkeep.

Previously, Nigerian students utilised Form A for tuition payments, which was pegged at a fixed rate controlled by the Central Bank of Nigeria. However, the current circumstances had altered this arrangement, leading to further financial burdens for students.

Sharing her experience, Success Apiaka, a traveller impacted by the recent increase and fluctuation in foreign currency rates, expressed his frustration with the effect it has had on her travel plans and budget, adding that she was forced to reassess and make significant adjustments to his financial planning to accommodate the unforeseen changes.

Apiaka recounted the challenges she faced, stating, “The recent increase and fluctuation in foreign currency has affected my travelling plans, especially considering the amount I had originally budgeted for the process. I had to go back to my drawing board to replan and find the best way to achieve my travel goal. This meant cutting down on a lot of expenses, including food, clothing, and family-related costs, in order to meet the current exchange rate and make the most of every penny I have.”

Fortunately for Apiaka, being knowledgeable in economics, she anticipated the economic difficulties ahead and took proactive measures to secure her travel plans. She booked her flight as early as May after paying her tuition, having learned from past experiences with using Form A for foreign currency transactions.

“I had to cut down a lot of my expenses in terms of feeding, clothing, family, etc just to ensure I can meet up to the current rate, utilise every single penny that comes my way.

She said the mental stress that came with the entire process, the wait is really not easy, process and all. For the financial aspect, I would say a little because this is something I have been preparing for although not at this current rate but so far I must say the mental stress was quite overwhelming at some point.

Another affected traveller, Aisha Abdullahi told our correspondent that currency fluctuations and the single exchange rate policy were affecting her travel plans, strewing that with her intended budget of N12m, now only yielding 12,000 pounds instead of the expected 24,000 pounds.

Abdullahi had been forced to consider alternative arrangements to make up for the significant financial hurdle, noting that said she had to explore selling off properties and liquidating investments.

She highlights the drastic change in flight prices, with a return ticket now costing between N800,000 to over N1m, compared to the previous rates of N300,000 and above.

“I’m considering flying through Benin Republic, Contonu Airport to be precise but I’m trying to weigh the prons and coins that are involved because moving my things from my base in Abuja down to Lagos means incurring some expenses like paying for excess luggage to Lagos.

“So, I will put all this together and compare it with the air ticket in Cotonou then that would give me a clear picture of what I want and make my decision.”

The Ondo Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps has disclosed that eight people lost their lives in the petrol tanker fire that occurred along the Benin-Ore-Sagamu Expressway on Sunday.

This is just as an eyewitness told our correspondent that two pregnant women and three children were among the victims of the fire.

The FRSC’s casualty figure contradicted the earlier report on the incident which claimed that 20 persons were burnt to death.

Speaking on the incident on Monday, the Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr Ezekiel Son’Allah, confirmed that the victims were scooping fuel from the fallen tanker when the fire broke out.

“The accident was caused by a loss of concentration and speed limit violation on the part of the driver involved. Eight people died.

“The driver and motor boy of the vehicle escaped unhurt, but the eight villagers scooping fuel got burnt in the act. The dead bodies were taken to the morgue of the General Hospital, Ore,” he said.

Some residents of the area who spoke about the incident insisted that over 20 people, including two pregnant women and three children, died in the fire while others sustained injuries.

They also said not all the victims were scooping fuel, explaining that some of the victims were passersby.

A resident, Susan Jerry, confirmed that some of the victims went to the scene of the incident to scoop petrol.

“More than 20 persons were burnt beyond recognition. Two pregnant women and three children were among the deceased,” Jerry said.

Another resident, Tijani Diekola, said the tanker driver lost control of the vehicle and entered the ditch around 4.30pm on Sunday.

He added that the people were at the scene of the incident, scooping the fuel till the incident happened around 6pm.

“This morning (Monday), I met about 10 burnt dead bodies while those around the tanker cannot be recognised. They were packed inside a sack by officials of the FRSC,” he said.

He explained that trouble started when the fuel started spilling into a stream in the community while the residents continued to scoop the fuel with buckets and kegs until the explosion occurred.

He added, “Unfortunately, a woman was cooking in her kitchen when the inflammable product on the water caught fire, burning the woman to death while the fire travelled back to the tanker.

“A pregnant woman who was crossing the stream with three other minors were caught in the river and burnt beyond recognition. No one could move to save them. Some other people who were close to the tanker were also badly affected. Their remains were packed this morning.”

Meanwhile, the state government has described the incident as tragic and unfortinate.

The government’s reaction was contained in a statement by the state Commissioner for Information Orientation, Mrs Bamidele Ademola-Olateju.

Also, the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress has described the incident as unfortunate.

The party’s position was contained in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Alex Kalejaiye.

Similarly, the lawmaker representing Odigbo 1 Constituency, Mr Olatunji Ifabiyi, in his condolence message on Monday, described the incident as unfortunate.

The 10th House of Representatives has released its six-point legislative agenda for the 10th Assembly to drive progress, prosperity and inclusivity across the country.

Rep. Julius Ihonvbere, the House Leader and Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on Legislative Agenda, announced the agenda on Monday in Abuja.

He listed the agenda as economic empowerment and diversification, infrastructure development, education and human capital development.

Others include healthcare for all; transparent governance, accountability, and the security and safety of persons and property, as well as economic empowerment and diversification.

Ihonvbere said the agenda, being the vision of the 10th Assembly, would be the fulcrum upon which the 10th Legislature’s operation would be based.

He said one of the House’s foremost goals would be to drive economic empowerment and diversification, adding that Nigeria’s over-reliance on oil exports had left the economy vulnerable to fluctuations in global oil prices.

According to him, to mitigate this risk and build a sustainable economy, they would incentivize investments in non-oil sectors such as agriculture, technology and renewable energy.

He said, “In the agriculture sector, we will pass legislation to modernise farming practices, improve access to credit for farmers, and support agricultural research and development.”

He said the Green Chamber would explore opportunities in agro-processing to add value to the country’s agricultural produce and create more jobs.

He said, “In the technology and innovation space, we will foster an environment that encourages start-ups, nurtures innovation hubs, and incentivizes research and development”.
He said the aim was to position Nigeria as a technology powerhouse, leveraging her young and dynamic population to drive innovation and digital transformation.

He said the agenda was to prioritise renewable energy projects to reduce the country’s carbon footprint, improve energy security and create jobs in the renewable energy sector.

This, according to him, will be done by embracing renewable energy, which would not only protect the environment but also open up new investment opportunities.

“Our overall goals are job creation, higher foreign exchange earnings, new skills development, diversification of exports and strengthening and deepening our technological foundations,” he explained.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that some of the stakeholders that contributed to the agenda are the Nigerians Union of Teachers, Nigerian Metallurgical Society and the Federal Ministry of Health. (NAN)

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Monday, decried Nigeria’s inability to live up to expectations since it got independence about 63 years ago, stressing that the country had not only disappointed itself but also Africa and the world.

Obasanjo disclosed this while delivering the keynote address at the public presentation of the book titled ‘Reclaiming the Jewel of Africa,’ written by former Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, who also served as Minister of Finance, Olusegun Aganga.

The book was unveiled by President Bola Tinubu through his Special Adviser on Monetary Policy, Olawale Edun. The event, which was held in Abuja, witnessed a large turnout of past and current senior government officials, as former President Goodluck Jonathan and Obasanjo spoke virtually.

In his address at the programme, Obasanjo said, “Over the last 63 years, we have not lived up to expectations. We have disappointed ourselves; we have disappointed Africa; we have disappointed the black race; and we have disappointed the world.”

He, however, stated that “what Segun (Aganga) has tried to identify, itemise and recommend in his book is the way forward.

“But the beginning of charting a new course for ourselves is to admit our failure because we have not always put the round peg in the round hole.

“We are carried along by ego and emotion of self, selfishness and self-centeredness, ethnic and religious jingoism, with total lack of understanding of the world we live in and gross misunderstanding of what development entails and how to move fast and continuously on the trajectory of development.”

The former President further identified two of the major issues that were interrelated in terms of factors for all-round development.

“These are peace and security, which we cannot achieve without justice, equity and inclusive society. And telling ourselves the truth, we have not done well on these scores in the recent past—in the last decade and a half.

“I will also point at the issue of education, where over 20 million children that should be in school are not in school. We do not need an oracle to tell us the consequences of that for tomorrow,” Obasanjo stated.

He said the skill acquisition, empowerment and employment of youth would seem to be ignored or not appreciated.

“We do not need to look far for the remote causes of banditry, Boko Haram, kidnapping and other organised crimes.

“We are living dangerously on a keg of gunpowder, driving more people into poverty through good policies poorly and thoughtlessly implemented or bad policy and no policy at all,” he stated.