Niger Delta

LG Polls: APC Alleges Plan To Release Fake Results

Published

12 years ago

October 10, 2014

Dr Uwem Ite, addressing members of Rotary Club of Port Harcourt during the club’s meeting recently.

The All Progressives
Congress (APC), Delta State chapter, has alleged plans by the state Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) to announce fake results during the October 25 local council polls in the state.
The state Secretary of the APC, Mr Chidi Okonji, who made the allegation at a news conference on Thursday in Asaba, however, said the party was ready to challenge any form of electoral fraud during the polls.
“There is widespread speculation going on now of plans by the state electoral commission to announce already prepared results for the coming local government elections in the state.
“But I can bet you that if the plans go through, we at the APC will mobilise our supporters to challenge the results.
“Our women are ready to go naked and curse whoever attempts to rig the coming election because the people are tired of this system. Our people need a change,” Okonji said.
The APC scribe faulted the failure of the DSIEC to publish and display the voters’ register with barely two weeks to the elections.
Okonji expressed fear that the development did not augur well for the conduct of a free, fair and credible local council polls in the state.
“The delay in publishing the voters’ register by DSIEC is a scientific way of rigging the elections.
“As it is now, I can not tell you that I am sure that this coming elections will be free and fair; but I bet you that we will resist any attempt to deny our people their right to elect their choice candidate.”
On the alleged defection of some APC members in the state to APGA, Okonji dismissed the allegation as a mere rumour
He said no card-carrying member of the APC in Delta defected.
“The story that some of our members recently defected to APGA is not true. Those people that went to declare for APGA are not our members.
“Anybody can wake up and say he is an APC member, but if you ask them to produce their identity card, they don’t have it.”
However, when contacted, the Chairman of DSIEC, Mr. Moses Ogbe, told newsmen that the allegations by the APC scribe were unfounded.
“How can we announce an already prepared result when the election has not even been conducted? This is ridiculous.
“We have not even gotten the result sheets; so how do we announce results. The APC’s allegation is a false claim intended to cause disharmony ahead of the elections,” Ogbe said.
The DSIEC boss explained that the commission could not meet up with the earlier plan to display the voters’ register on the 17 September due to the delay in receiving the original register from INEC.
He said that DSIEC only received a soft copy of the register from INEC on Oct. 3, adding that the commission was currently printing out the register for onward display in all councils in the state.
“We just got the DVD of the voters register from INEC on the 3rd of October; we are presently printing them out.
“So far, we have completed the printing of 16 local government areas registers; once the printing is completed, we will publish them in all local government areas.
“DSIEC is going to use the voter register produce by INEC; we can not produce a separate voters’ register.
“The process is not as easy as they think. We are talking about over two million voters in the state,” Ogbe said.

Niger Delta

CSOs, Bille Community Urge Solution To Persistent Underwater Gas Eruption

Published

32 minutes ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the people of Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State have called for government’s urgent intervention to end the suspected underwater gas eruption in the community.

The groups, under the aegis of the Environmental Rights Action and Social Action, made the call during their advocacy visit to the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), in Port Harcourt.

The Programme Manager of Environmental Rights Action, Mr. Kentebe Ebiaridor, said the visit was to seek clarity on the response efforts of the regulators to the development in the community.

Ebiaridor expressed concern over what he described as “inadequate response from regulatory agencies and the government concerning the incident”.

He said discussions with some officials revealed that there was still no clear timeline for action to address the situation.

According to him, in the absence of clear ownership of the facility linked to the incident, companies operating within Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18 should be held accountable.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) had in a statement issued on March 20 by its Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the commission had commenced an investigation into a gas bubbling incident in Bille Community.

Eyesan said the commission expressed concern over the development and assured residents of its ongoing efforts to address the situation.

Also, the Resource Justice Manager of Social Action, Dr. Prince Edegbuo, warned that the situation could escalate into a public health emergency, if urgent steps were not taken.

Edegbuo called on relevant authorities to release the results of the tests reportedly conducted in the area, stressing that residents had the right to know the condition of their environment.

He also said CSOs were prepared to intensify advocacy on the matter, urging the development of emergency response measures, including possible evacuation plans.

A legal practitioner and community stakeholder, Mr. Commission Deinbo, had, on March 20, said residents had continued to witness unusual signs on the waterways in the area.

Deinbo said the signs included boiling and bubbling from the ground and river, sometimes within residential areas, as well as fire outbreaks, which the residents had always managed to contain.

He appealed to relevant authorities to come to their aid and find a lasting solution to the problem.

In a response, the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of NOSDRA, Mr. Bello Augustin, assured the community that he would relate its concerns to the appropriate quarters.

Augustin also commended the CSOs for their advocacy and concerns to community development in the state.

By: Wokoma Emmanuel & Theresa Frederick

Niger Delta

Police Detain 7, Recover Arms In A’Ibom

Published

5 hours ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State has detained seven suspects and recovered firearms after raiding a criminal hideout in Ndiya Mfia, Ikono Local Government Area.of the State.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, made the disclosure in a statement in Uyo on Wednesday.

John said that the breakthrough which occurred at about 6.00a.m on Wednesday, followed credible intelligence from members of the public.

“We reliably gathered that criminal suspects were hibernating in a compound disguised as worshippers.

“In a decisive operation, our personnel conducted a thorough search of the premises which led to the detention and recovery of arms,” she said.

According to her, the operation was in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police to decisively combat crime in the country.

The police spokesman further said that two locally made double-barrel guns, five expended cartridges, four motorcycles and three generators were recovered during the operation.

She also listed 10 mobile phones, one police crest, four jungle boots, one peak cap, saw blade, spanner, number plates, machetes, a special force vest as other items recovered.

“We also found bottles of suspected spiritual oil and one enlarged photograph linked to an ongoing investigation,” she said.

John said that preliminary investigation suggested that the location was being used as cover for criminal operations.

She said the State’s Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Azare, has directed a comprehensive investigation on the matter in order to apprehend the principal suspect.

John expressed the commitment of the Command to rid the state of crime, and urged members of the public to always support the police with timely and credible information.

Niger Delta

Otu Launches Grassroot Security Network In C’River

Published

5 hours ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has launched a grassroots security intelligence network, named, ”Homeland Safety and Security Agency,” to strengthen community-based surveillance and enhance safety across the state.

Otu, who inaugurated the agency’s office in the Southern Senatorial District of the state on Monday, in Calabar, said similar offices were being inaugurated in the Central and Northern Senatorial Districts.

The Governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Emmanuel Ironbar, said the officials of the agency would serve as first point of call before matters would be escalated to main security architecture in the state.

He described Homeland Security as an intelligence-driven structure focused on neighbourhood monitoring and early threat detection through coordinated local efforts.

He said the initiative constituted the directors and field operatives, tasked with gathering and forwarding intelligence to relevant security agencies for prompt action.

Otu noted that the network would serve as a first point of contact before intervention by conventional security agencies.

“It is important that we enhance monitoring of movements across our communities, border areas, and riverine zones to identify suspicious activities and enhance security response.

“The state government will provide necessary gadgets and communication tools to improve efficiency and real-time intelligence sharing,” he said.

Otu called for public cooperation, stressing that ‘’security is a collective responsibility requiring timely information from residents.’’

He said, ‘’to ensure that the security outfit works like a model unit, proper screening would be conducted on the volunteers to weed out undesirable elements from the system.’’

The Tide’s source reports that the Governor handed over 14 motor bikes to the agency’s southern Senatorial district office to enhance their efficiency.

On his part, the Director-General, South of the agency, Mr. Michael Nsan, said the volunteers had played key roles in reducing crime through coordinated patrols and intelligence sharing.

Nsan said over 1,300 volunteers currently supported the operations with additional informants providing critical information across communities.

“Crime rates dropped significantly during the last festive period due to our collaboration with law enforcement agencies in the state,” he said.

The Director-General said volunteers would undergo training and screening, with plans underway for formal recruitment through a government employment portal.

According to him, communication tools, including walkie-talkies, and patrol motorcycles had improved rapid response to security incidents.

He commended the governor’s commitment, noting that the initiative would further strengthen security architecture and community safety across the state.

The source reports that some of the dignitaries who graced the occasion were traditional rulers and government officials.