Politics
INEC Warns Against Violence In Bayelsa, Kogi Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned against any form of violence in the forth-coming Governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi States; noting that the electoral body is not responsible for violence during polls.
INEC National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye who handed down the warning said the signs coming from the two states ahead of the elections were disturbing to the commission.
Okoye stated that most political parties in the country see elections as war; but stressed the need for political parties to be committed to violence free polls, describing the signs coming from the two states as ‘not good’.
“We must get the registered political parties in Nigeria to commit to peaceful and non-violence elections. As at today, most of the political parties pay lip service to the issue of peaceful elections.
“For them election is war; while for the INEC, we train our electoral officers, we train our ad hoc staff and we train all our election officials to go and conduct elections as envisaged by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.
“The signs we are seeing in both Bayelsa and Kogi States are not good signs. We are really worried as an election management body,” but noted that the INEC was prepared to conduct the November 16 Governorship elections in the two states.
The INEC National Commissioner further said that the commission had been holding stakerholders meeting in both Bayelsa and Kogi States as part of measures to ensure a violence free and peaceful elections.
“From Bayelsa and from Kogi States, we had stakeholders meeting in all these places and you can see that we keep on emphasising the fact that we are ready for this election, but the political parties are not preparing for elections. They are preparing for something different.
“By Monday, we are going to deploy three resident electoral commissioners each to Bayelsa and to Kogi as support resident electoral commissioners. And as the election proceeds, we are going to deploy additional resident electoral commissioners and national commissioners to go and superintend and give support to the resident electoral commissioners in both states.
“We have also intensified the training of ad hoc staff that will conduct this particular election,” the INEC National Commissioner said.
Politics
Rivers Assembly Resumes Sitting After Six-Month Suspension

The Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday resumed plenary session after a six-month state of emergency imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu elapsed on Wednesday midnight.
President Bola Tinubu had lifted the emergency rule on September 17, with the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly asked to resume duties on September 18.
The plenary was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, at the conference hall located within the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The conference hall has served as the lawmakers’ temporary chamber since their official chamber at the assembly complex on Moscow Road was torched and later pulled down by the state government.
The outgone sole administrator of the state, Ibok-Ete Ibas, could not complete the reconstruction of the assembly complex as promised.
Recall that on March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the prolonged political standoff between Fubara and members of the House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
He subsequently suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and lawmakers for six months and installed a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), to manage the state’s affairs.
The decision sparked widespread controversy, with critics accusing the president of breaching the Constitution.
However, others hailed the move as a necessary and pragmatic step.
Politics
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Politics
Alleged Smear Campaign Against Yakubu, CSOs Demand Apology From Uzodimma

During a press conference held in Owerri, the coalition called the campaign a “dangerous and shameful display” designed to distract the public from the governor’s performance in office.
The CSOs directly linked the Greater Imo Initiative (GII) —the group that made the allegations on September 4, 2025—to Governor Uzodimma, describing the group as his “mouthpiece and attack dog.”
“Every word spoken against INEC was spoken on his behalf.
“By falsely alleging that Professor Yakubu has an alliance with Dr. Amadi to compromise the 2027 elections, Uzodimma has not only maligned a man of proven integrity but also assaulted the very foundation of our democracy”, said Dr Agbo Frederick, speaking for the coalition.
The coalition described Professor Yakubu as a “beacon of electoral professionalism” and called the attempt to soil his reputation “defamatory and a national security risk.”
They also defended Dr. Amadi, a “respected development scholar,” stating that the governor’s accusations were “laughable, desperate, and dangerous.”
The CSOs see the motive behind the campaign as an attempt to “silence the dissent, intimidate the opposition, and divert attention from the governor’s abysmal record in office.”
The coalition issued four key demands to Governor Uzodimma: An immediate retraction of the false and defamatory allegations against Professor Mahmood Yakubu and Dr. Chima Amadi.
- A public apology to both men within seven days, to be published in at least three national newspapers and broadcast on major television networks.
- An end to diversionary tactics and proxy propaganda.
- A renewed focus on governance, including addressing insecurity, unemployment, and poverty in Imo State.
The CSOs warned that failure to comply would force them to “review our position with a view to seeking legal redress from Governor Uzodimma for defamation, false accusation, and reckless endangerment of lives.”
“Governor Uzodimma must be reminded that he did not find himself in the seat of power to chase shadows.
“We call on all Nigerians to reject Uzodimma’s diversionary antics as they are nothing short of desperate plots by a government terrified of accountability”, the statement concluded.
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