Politics
Guber Candidate Promises To Reposition Education
The Labour Party (LP) Governorship candidate in Lagos State,Prof. Ifagbemi Awamaridi says if elected, all political office holders must have their children in public schools to reposition education for national growth and development.
Awamaridi who made this known in Lagos on Saturday said that until quality education is prioritised and made free or affordable to the majority of the citizens, many of the problems confronting the nation would remain.
The don noted that the best weapon to fight poverty, insecurity and hunger anywhere in the world remained education, saying that if voted into office, education would take priority.
“We are committed to free education up till university level that will be qualitative. All the dilapidated schools will be rebuilt.
“We will make sure that all public officers have their children in public schools. If their children attend public schools, the schools will be okay, there is no magic there.
“This must start with political office holders. As a governor, your child must not go to private school.
“If the children of commissioners do not go to private schools, then things will really change for better, ” Awamaridi said.
The LP candidate said that the party was also committed to free Internet services all over the state by simply creating colocation centres to provide free WiFi for emergency Internet operations.
Awamaridi said that the party also wanted to invest massively in electricity to provide minimum of 22 hours power supply daily for residents.
“This is not rocket science. All we need to do is to explore and combine wind, solar, hydro, coal and all other means of power generation as it is done in California and not just concentrating on one source.
“We want to make Lagos State hub of Information Technology (IT) in the whole of Africa. We have the potential and we have the market.
“Many companies, including IT offices had relocated to other countries because of power supply issues,” he said.
Awamaridi said that the party was committed to advancing small and medium scale Enterprises in informal sector to reduce poverty and unemployment as well as creating wealth and growing the economy.
“We want to build 100,000 stalls for the unemployed across all the local government areas to be given out free with small capital to commence business.
“We are talking about those who want to sell bread, fruits and other things to feed their families.
“The programme is for those who have not been engaged at any time before. It is for those not working at all and we have started compiling list already,” Awamaridi said.
He mentioned that the party would commit about N10 billion of the state Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) into this to lift people out of poverty and hunger.
On health, the Labour Party candidate said that the party had planned free local health services for regular ailments and crash training programmes for all quacks, auxiliary nurses and traditional healers; others to end quackery.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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