Presidential Candidate of Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of deceiving Nigerians with report of the poll released earlier on Friday.

In the 526-page report of the 2023 elections, formally released ahead of the first anniversary of the election, INEC explained why the IREV failed to upload the presidential results despite the seamless working of the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS).

The commission attributed the challenge to technical glitches, which was, however resolved and that this did not in any way affect the credibility of the elections.

Obi, who spoke through Dr Yunusa Tanko, the Chief Spokesperson, Obi-Datti Campaign Committee, described the report as medicine after death.

“I think the INEC report is medicine after death. The truth about it is that if I didn’t mean that INEC actually deal with this issue as it happened during the election, possibly Nigerians will have believed and trusted this particular report.”

“But here we are, the report of the INEC which signifies that the IREV refused to function or been uploaded during the election is false. Considering the fact that there were three elections that happened on that day, the Federal House of Representatives, the Senate, and the result was uploaded and there was no issue.

“Why must there be issue as regard to the presidential election? So totally for us is deceit, disdain for the people and is trying to promote an indecency,” he said.

He lamented that unfortunately everyone knew when INEC gave a written document, citing that they would not agree with any result that is not posted on the IREV.

“It is documented and everybody saw it. But then this is the same INEC who went again to the Supreme Court citing that they had an authority to collate the result manually and it was stamped on authority on illegality by our judiciary.

“And you want to convince me that that particular issue of glitch was not done deliberately? The truth is that nobody was arrested. Somebody ought to have been arrested who has been saddled with that responsibility.

“And if he is saddled with the responsibility, he must be held responsible and account for why the glitches occur.

“And even if there was a glitch, it’s just like your network taking off. It shouldn’t take up to a whole day. A few seconds it is off, three seconds it is back. Why was the server not back or why is the glitch not resolved?

“So for me and many of us, this is totally unacceptable. The report is deceitful to the Nigerian people. Our electoral Act and electoral law must be revisited to give clarity as regard to the process of our election.

“We don’t want to give any lacuna to any of our election process and give room for the judiciary only to decide who wins election. Election should be done and dusted at the polling units,” he said.

Operations, radiotherapy canceled, mortuary affected

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC, has disconnected power supply to University College Hospital, UCH, in Ibadan, Oyo State, because of electricity debt, amounting to more than N400 million.

Checks by Vanguard indicated that supply was cut a few days ago following the inability of UCH Ibadan to settle its debts.

Chief Corporate Services Officer, IBEDC, Angela Olanrewaju, who confirmed the disconnection of the hospital, said: “We are very mindful of the essential services the hospital provides. The debt has increased to more than N400 million. The disconnection became inevitable because we have written four times and held several meetings with them without result.

We also served them many notices without response. We need to recover the debt to provide efficient services to our customers.”

Chief Medical Director, UCH, Ibadan, Professor Jesse Abiodun Otegbayo, declined to make comments.

However, another source said that UTH has commenced negotiations, targeted at resolving the issue and restoring the power supply to the hospital.

Meanwhile, a source in the hospital said the entire operations in the hospital have been scuttled, especially as the inverter, which they depended on could not carry out intensive medical treatment, adding that a lot of planned operations have been canceled or rescheduled.

He predicted that the Radiology, mortuary and other vital departments in the hospital would likely suffer the most severe impacts, potentially compromising patient care and safety.

Release details of how to disburse N300m he donated to orphanages

Music star David Adeleke popularly known as Davido has expressed gratitude to God for putting him in position to lift others as he announced making another donation of N300 million through his foundation, the David Adeleke Foundation, DAF, to orphanages across the country.

This, the singer said, is part of his annual contribution to support the welfare of Nigerian children.

Davido made this known in a press statement he posted on his Instagram yesterday evening.

According to the statement, the total number of eligible children is 13,936, with 1,688 deemed eligible to benefit from the funds.

It further stated that the allocation is set to benefit a total of 427 eligible orphanage homes , with a total amount of N300 million to be disbursed, translating to an average of N19.733 per eligible child.

The statement reads in part: “We are pleased to announce that the Davido Adeleke Foundation, DAF, has committed to an additional donation of N300 million to orphanages across Nigeria as part of our ongoing efforts to contribute to the welfare of our nation’s children.

“We understand the importance of transparency and accountability in charitable endeavours. Therefore, we assure the public that the allocated funds have been deposited into the Foundation;s Bank accounts, as mentioned in previous announcements.

“ We acknowledged that the process of disbursing these funds to various orphanages will take time as the statistics of these orphanages constantly change over time. We are committed once again to ensuring that the allocation is carried out meritoriously, with a thorough vetting process in place to verify the legitimacy of recipient institutions and guarantee that the funds are utilized for their intended purpose.

“We anticipate that the disbursement process will be completed within the next two to three weeks. During this time out, the team will work diligently to verify and process payment of the selected orphanages across the country.”

Also, in an accompanying Instagram post, Davido wrote, “ To our nation’s children, I remain grateful to be in a position to be able to help. Please accept my humble contribution. Together we shall shape a brighter future,”

Recall that in 2023, the ‘Unavailable’ singer extended the same gesture by donating the sum of N237m to some orphanages across the country. The singer in a statement said the sum was distributed to 424 orphanages in Nigeria.

Also, in 2021, he challenged his friends and fans to support his 29th birthday by donating N1 million each to him. He explained that he had always been in a position of lifting others and wanted them to return the favour. He ended up raising a total of N200,000,000 , with additional personal donation of N50,000,000, totaling N250,000,000, which he later donated to orphanages across Nigeria.

The Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) has demanded prompt arrest and public legal proceedings against Muslim Cleric, Idris Abdulaziz Dusen Tenshi.

Naija News reports that the cleric was reportedly advocating for the killing of Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the wife of the President, branding her an “infidel” because of her Christian faith.

This demand was put forth during the 2024 National Prayer Day and the 1st Quarter National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of YOWICAN, held at the National Christian Centre in Abuja on Friday.

The YOWICAN Chairman, Belusochukwu Enwere, articulated the council’s unified viewpoint in a formal communication, underscoring the immediate necessity for governmental and security authorities to intervene.

The communiqué partly stated, “NEC is calling for the immediate arrest of the Muslim Cleric (Idris Abdulaziz Dusen Tenshi) who has called for the killing of the wife of the President, Sen Oluremi A Tinubu, for being a Christian. Describing her as an infidel.

“The NEC is calling for the public prosecution of the cleric and wish to request the said preacher should be restricted from preaching in Nigeria to serve as a deterrent to others.

“The NEC is giving the Federal Government and security agencies to act immediately to avoid the further deterioration of security situation in the country because of the unguided statement/utterance.”

The NEC meeting also addressed comprehensive concerns affecting the nation, including economic challenges faced by citizens amid rising living costs and the deteriorating security situation marked by widespread killings across the country.

YOWICAN emphasized the employment crisis, urging the government to enact targeted policies to tackle youth unemployment, stressing the significance of engaging young individuals in the country’s development endeavours.

The House of Representatives Committee on the National Agency on Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has decided to temporarily lift the ban on the sale of spirits and alcoholic drinks in sachets and pet bottles until the investigation is completed.

Chairperson of the House Committee on NAFDAC, Regina Akume, made this announcement in Abuja on Friday following a public hearing on the ban of these products last week.

She emphasized the importance of following proper procedures before imposing a ban, highlighting the necessity of implementing access control measures to prevent children and young people from accessing and consuming alcoholic beverages sold in sachets and pet bottles.

Akume underscored the committee’s responsibility in ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of NAFDAC in promoting job creation and economic development.

She promised to reach a level playing field between NAFDAC and manufacturers that would not be detrimental to children or public safety.

Earlier, the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, emphasized that the prohibition was implemented with the intention of safeguarding the well-being and safety of children, young individuals, and other susceptible populations.

“We tried to protect the market, and that was why we agreed to a five-year moratorium for the manufacturers to phase out alcoholic drinks in sachets and pet bottles in December 2018,” Adeyeye said.

She further explained that the decision was not solely made by NAFDAC but rather a ministerial directive, and now the five-year period has elapsed.

Adeyeye expressed her surprise at the manufacturers’ campaign, despite the agreement to ban alcohol in sachets and pet bottles.

She emphasized that many problems could have been resolved earlier, clarifying that the agency does not oppose the production of alcoholic beverages but rather the packaging in sachets and pet bottles in order to prevent children from having easy access to them.

A Northern group, Civil Society For Credible Election has stated that erstwhile president, Muhammadu Buhari should be blamed for the economic crisis plaguing the nation.

The group lamented that President Bola Tinubu inherited the challenges from his predecessor.

They shared their reservations while addressing newsmen in Kano.

Umar argued that Tinubu had since hit the ground working to reverse the situation through various steps and policies put in place.

He subsequently called on Nigerians to exercise patience with the President as things will be better in no distant time in the country.

According to him, “We recognize the fact that Nigerians are passing through hardship at the moment. It is a result of a global economic meltdown, but only further compounded by some shortcomings of the last administration under former president Muhammadu Buhari.

“What people need to know about Nigeria’s present challenges is that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inherited them from the past administration of former president Buhari but as a determined leader, Tinubu is pulling all strings together to overcome them head-on.

“Nigerians are all living witness to the phantom steps and policies of the present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address the country’s sociocultural, economic and political indices.

“What President Tinubu need from all Nigerians now is patience, cooperation and understanding of the administration reforms policies. These reforms are strategic and competent enough to in no distant time make all Nigerians proud of their beloved country.”

Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Igboho, has described as incorrect, the assertion made by some Nigerians that President Bola Tinubu is responsible for the rot in the country.

Tinubu, who was sworn in on May 29, 2023, announced the removal of the subsidy during his first address, a decision that increased the cost of petrol and economic inflation.

This is against the backdrop that the Buhari-led government did not make provisions for petroleum subsidies in the 2023 budget.

Speaking during a visit to the palace of the monarch of Igboho town in Oyo State on Friday, Adeyemo said, “Some people believe it is Tinubu that spoils the country; it is not Tinubu. When Buhari was in government, I was shouting for us (Yoruba) to be united and free ourselves from slavery, saying that Buhari did not have anything to offer us.

“Let’s free ourselves and divide Nigeria. Some people were saying it is what he will eat that he is looking for. Buhari handed over spoiled Nigeria to Tinubu. Tinubu spent six months in office; we are cursing him. What did he do?”

On July 1, 2021, Igboho escaped from a deadly night raid on his Ibadan residence by the operatives of the Department of State Service.

Buhari knocked for economic crisis, EFCC defies order with night raid: Weekly news recap
He was subsequently arrested in Benin Republic on his way to Germany on July 19 together with his wife, Ropo. Igboho was, however, released in October 2023.

The Yoruba nation agitator returned to Nigeria about 30 months after for the burial of his mother, who died on July 22, 2023.

In a video that has since gone viral on social media, Igboho was spotted sitting on top of a car while being welcomed by a mammoth crowd in his home town of Oyo State.

While addressing his supporters at the monarch’s palace, he accused Buahari of sending the security agency to kill him because he was defending the rights of the Yoruba people.

He said, “Buhari sent his soldiers and DSS to arrest me in my house because I said Yoruba’s are not slaves to Fulani. Fulani cannot suppress us in our father’s land.

“Fulani can’t stop our fathers and mothers from going to their farms. Fulani can’t dare it. But, I’m back with the power of God and authority, not that of man. I use the power that God used to create the universe.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission has insisted that the 2023 poll was free and fair, noting that it reflected the wishes of Nigerians.

The commission added that an analysis of the poll showed that no party dominated it and the spread of results across party lines was better than in previous elections conducted in the country.

INEC’s position was contained in a 526-page document titled, ‘The Report of 2023 General Election,’ made available to Saturday PUNCH.

The commission, however, noted that the currency swap by the Central Bank of Nigeria, attacks on INEC facilities, and a few glitches were the challenges encountered during the elections.

The National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, described the poll as unique “in terms of keeping to the timetable, new 80 clauses in the Electoral Act, and introduction of new technologies which made voting easier.”

Olumekun stated, “In keeping with our tradition over the last four electoral cycles, and our commitment to transparency, we are pleased to announce the release of the official INEC report on the 2023 general election.

“The report showcases the election’s unparalleled diversity in party representation, demonstrating significant democratic progress. This election saw four political parties winning governorship races, seven parties winning senatorial seats, eight in federal constituencies and nine in state legislatures, illustrating a broad shift in political representation across Nigeria.”

He further stated that the 2023 general elections were “perhaps the best planned and most innovative election in Nigeria”.

“The election witnessed the highest number of eligible voters and voting locations across the country with the participation of over one million election duty officials and the deployment of enormous logistic requirements including over 100,000 vehicles and about 4,000 boats protected by gunboats,” the report added.

Meanwhile, political parties have criticised the 2023 general elections report released by the INEC.

The chief spokesperson of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, blamed INEC for covering its “illegality,” adding that the release of the report was medicine after death.

Tanko said, “This is medicine after death. INEC should have made this particular clarification at the time of the election and promised to make amends and pick up from where they stopped.

“However, what is happening is that INEC is trying to cover its tracks after the judiciary had one way or the other legalised their illegality.

“Let me explain better. If INEC says that this is what they are going to do and later on goes to the court to say that they have the right to do manual collation then the court justifies that particular action, it is unacceptable. It is a conspiracy.”

In the same vein, the presidential candidate and former chairman, of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Yabagi Sani, urged INEC to deal with the culprit involved in the glitches it encountered during the elections.

“Whoever was responsible for the glitches should be dealt with in a manner that should serve as a deterrent for the future because accountability is key.

“INEC should be commended for coming out clean. They should be given a pass mark. We will keep improving in our electoral process. We can now point out exactly what happened,” Sani noted.

The spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party, Debo Ologunagba, when contacted said the party needed to critically look at the report before making its decisions known.

But the Publicity Director of the All Progressives Congress, Bala Ibrahim, said, “Nigerians should salute INEC for being honest and sincere by admitting errors or failures on its side. Whatever we do, we should admit that we are humans and we are not infallible.

“Everything that is technologically based or IT-based is liable to some failures. Even in established democracies where they have perfect infrastructures on IT, they still have glitches here and there.”

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has accused the Nigerian government of inflicting hardship on lecturers and students.

Speaking on Friday at a press conference organised at the University of Lagos by the Lagos Zone of the union, the Zonal Coordinator, Prof Adelaja Odukoya, explained that it was imperative to update Nigerians about the events that transpired after the last nationwide strike that was suspended on October 14, 2022, ASUU’s interactions with the present administration, and the possible consequences of the lack of notable actions by the authorities.

ASUU had over time lamented the government’s refusal to fulfil the agreements it had with lecturers.

Odukoya said the government had shown consistent insensitivity to agreements and the well-being of patriotic academics in Nigeria’s public universities.

“The government has persisted in inflicting misery on lecturers and students in Nigeria, despite their sincere efforts to elevate our public universities to a global standard. ASUU is unfazed in its patriotic endeavors.

“To reposition the Nigerian university system, we call on other patriots in the media, labour movement, student organisations, and civil society organisations to join ASUU in the rejection of the government’s master-slave posture on labour matters,” he said.

Odukoya insisted that despite its promises ahead of assuming office, the Bola Tinubu administration had failed to live up to expectations concerning the issues that had been at the forefront of the union’s recent strike actions, the last being from February to October 2022.

Some of the issues he highlighted were the renegotiation of the FGN/ASUU 2009 agreement, withheld salaries, unpaid arrears of earned academic allowance, removal from integrated personnel and payroll information system, public universities and the treasury single account, and proliferation of universities.

Speaking on TETFUND and foreign partnerships, Odukoya said, “As if the abuse and violation of TETFUND by the government are not enough, our union has further noted reports in the media, not refuted, of TETFUND’s intention to help King’s College, London, to establish a medical school in Nigeria in the name of partnership.

“We urge the leadership of the Fund to provide further updates on this proposed course of action and allay fears that it is contemplating funds meant for the development of Nigerian institutions for the development of foreign ones. We believe very strongly that there are many areas in which the agency can strengthen its interventions to the benefit of Nigerian universities.”

Veteran Nollywood actor cum movie director, Paul Obazele has emerged as the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the September gubernatorial election in Edo State.

Naija News learnt that other guber aspirants for the position unanimously agreed to present the movie star as the flagbearer during Friday’s primary election held at the Uselu axis of Benin City.

Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the national headquarters were around to observe the conduct of the exercise, which they described as peaceful.

Obazele will now battle candidates of other political parties for the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.