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Why Conducting Elections In Nigeria Is Like Holding Polls For Entire West Africa – INEC Chair

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BREAKING: Court Orders INEC To Resume Continuous Voter's Registration

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, has said that conducting an election in Nigeria is similar to holding one in the entire West African region.

“The size of our voter population and elective institutions make elections in Nigeria a huge undertaking. This fact is better appreciated within our regional context.

“There are 15 countries in West Africa today, including Nigeria,” Mr Yakubu said at a strategic interactive meeting with online publishers organised by the electoral commission.

Held in Lagos on Wednesday, the event was in collaboration with the Institute for Media and Society and the International Press Centre.

READ ALSO: Govt Spent Over N2.3tr As COVID-19 Stimulus Package – Minister

Yakubu said with Nigeria’s current voter population of over 84 million, Africa’s largest economy has about 11 million more registered voters than the other 14 West African countries put together, “which have 73.6 million registered voters.”

“Elections are held all-year round between one general election and another with no respite,” he said.

According to him, Nigeria’s size and population make it one of the biggest democracies in the world and the largest presidential democracy after the United States of America.

Mr Yakubu, who called for stronger INEC/Media partnership to foster a strong democratic Nigeria, said that the task of deepening Nigeria’s democracy was a collective duty.

Regarding the recently held Anambra governorship election, especially the concerns surrounding the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, Mr Yakubu said all hitches noticed in the deployment of the BVAS had been addressed ahead of future elections.

(NAN)

 

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BREAKING: Fresh Tension In Rivers As Fubara Is Locked Out Of Assembly Complex

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Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara

Signalling worsening relations between Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the state lawmakers, the former was locked out on Wednesday as he arrived at the State House of Assembly Complex .

Security personnel at the complex locked the gates when the governor’s convoy arrived at the complex.

The action of the security personnel was hinged on the position that there was no official communication between the governor and the Assembly.

However, Fubara said he communicated his coming to Speaker Martins Amaewhule through a letter and tried to call him on the phone since Tuesday.

Fubara had said he would fully implement the February 28, 2025 judgment of the apex court and directed the Rivers State Independent Electoral Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to come up with modalities for the fresh election.

The electoral commission fixed August 9, 2025, to conduct a fresh local government poll in the state.

Also, the Secretary to the State Government, Tammy Danagogo, in a letter dated March 7, 2025, sought a meeting with the lawmakers for March 10, 2025, to discuss the re-presentation of the 2025 budget and a peace talk.

However, the Assembly had asked the governor to channel his invitation properly.

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BREAKING: PDP Wins, Clears All 30 Councils In Osun Poll

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday emerged the winner for  the election for all the chairmanship and councillorship seats in all the 30 local government areas of Osun State.

The election was held on Saturday.

The Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, Hashim Abioye, announced the results at a press conference in Osogbo, the state capital on Saturday evening.

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Bisi Akande Drags Obasanjo Into Bola Ige’s Murder

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By John Michael Ojo

Bisi Akande, a former governor of Osun State, has alleged that the administration of  former President Olusegun Obasanjo was responsible for the brutal killing of erstwhile Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige.

Akande stated this while appearing  on Edmund Obilo’s podcast, State Affairs, where he also claimed that a friend Oluwole Rotimi, had given a hint on the impending danger if the deceased resigned from President Obasanjo’s government.

When asked to speak on the incident, the former interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said: “One evening, he (Ige) called me and said he was going to resign from this government tomorrow. It was sudden, and I said, ‘Please sir, I will come back to you.’ I called Oluwole Rotimi, and said this is what your friend told me: that he was going to resign from Obasanjo’s government tomorrow.

READ ALSO: South-West Governors, Tinubu, Akande, Akinrinade, Others To Meet Over State Of The Nation

“He asked me to advise him not to resign because if he does, he is likely going to die—he said that to me on the phone. I called Uncle (Ige) and begged him not to resign.

“He said he had talked to Wole Soyinka and Bola Tinubu, and both of them said he should resign. But I said, ‘Don’t. You can go to Obasanjo, tell him what you are angry about, and if he doesn’t want you anymore, here is your letter.’”

Akande who also claimed that Ige,  a Second Republic Governor of  Oyo State had issues bordering on trust with the then President said “Since he was resigning from his government, I think he stopped trusting him.”

However, Akande who was the governor of a neighbouring state when Ige was assassinated in Oyo State on the 23rd of December 2001, failed to provide names of those he felt were directly involved in the murder case.

“I don’t know. He was killed in Oyo State while I was ruling in Osun State. The government killed him (Bola Ige). It was a state murder.

“Lam Adesina, who was the Chief Security Officer of Oyo State then, went to court, and Ladoja withdrew the case from court. He might know more and be able to tell you.

READ ALSO: Adebanjo Wants EFCC To Probe  Sources Of Wealth Of Tinubu, Akande

“It was the government that killed him, and the government can kill anybody.

“Obasanjo wasn’t keen about Ige’s death; he was more interested in the stability of himself,” Akande maintained.

 

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