Politics
Wike To Commence Sixth Flyover Project
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has announced the intention of his administration to embark on the sixth flyover project in the state.
Speaking last week, during the commissioning ceremony of Rebisi flyover, one of the five flyover projects which he is executing simultaneously in the state, Gov. Wike disclosed that he would start the sixth flyover project at Kaduna Street located at CFC/Corpus Christi bus stop.
“ I want to start the sixth flyover project in this Kaduna bridge here. By December, we have to commission Okoro-nu- Odu flyover. By February, we have to commission Rumuogba and Rumuola; by March -April, we will commission the GRA flyover”, he said.
The sixth flyover project would involve expansion of the flyover to enhance traffic flow in the area.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN), who commissioned the 969.4 metres long Rebisi flyover, commended Gov. Wike for what he described as a massive urban regenerating and renewal programme of the Governor.
The Minister earlier visited the Rumuogba, Okoro-nu-Odu, Rumuola, and GRA Junction flyover projects.
Also last week, Gov. Wike redeemed the pledge he made to the families of the slain security officers who were allegedly killed by members of the outlawed Indigenous Peoples Of Biafra IPOB), by officially donating the sum of N20 million to each of the affected ten families, totalling N200million.
The Governor who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Tammy Danagogo made the presentation before the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan at Headquarters of the State Police Command and the 6 Division of Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt.
The Governor reassured the army and Police that his administration would always stand with them to fight crime in the state.
Within the week under review, the Rivers State Chief Executive was also in Sokoto on the invitation of the Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal to flag off projects and also Commission completed projects.
Gov. Wike laid foundation for the 950 beds Sokoto State University Teaching Hospital at Kasarawa, and flagged off the dualisation of Waziri Abbas Road in Sokoto City.
He also commissioned Semi Urban 1.5 million gallons per day water scheme at Bodinga in Bodinga Local Government Area,
The Rivers State Security Council, last week, relaxed the 24 hour curfew which was imposed on the entire Oyigbo Local Government Area following the killing of ten security operatives by the proscribed IPOB.
Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim disclosed this last Tuesday while briefing Government House Correspondents.
He stated that from last Wednesday, the the curfew would begin from 7 pm to 6am. He said apart from losing ten security operatives, 50 Ak 47 rifles were carted away by the criminals, hence the security agencies in the area would continue to embark on surveillance and search operations to recover the said rifles which are now in illegal possession of some persons.
Another major event last week in Brick House was the courtesy visit by the Primate of the All Nigerian Anglican Communion, Most Rev Henry Chukwuka Ndukuba.
While addressing the delegation of men of God, Gov. Wike urged the church to continue to pray for the nation because of the critical times she is passing through.
He called on those agitating for secession to rather strive for restructuring in order to foster much desired unity. He particularly regretted the criminal activities of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples Of Biafra which undermines the peace in the state.
Earlier, the Primate had lauded Gov. Wike on the steps he took on some critical issues and urged him not to relent.
Chris Oluoh
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted on the conclusion of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise yesterday (Sunday) despite calls by some opposition political parties and civil society organisations for an extension over concerns that millions of citizens could be excluded from the 2027 general elections.
In a notice issued on its X (formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday, the commission reminded the public that the exercise would end on Sunday, July 26, with designated registration centres open from 9am to 3pm.
“Your future won’t wait. Neither should you. The Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise ends Sunday, 26 July 2026,” the Commission stated.
INEC also reminded prospective voters that they could complete the registration process online through its dedicated CVR portal or visit designated INEC offices and registration centres nationwide for physical assistance.
The new Electoral Act stipulates that INEC is required to stop voter registration, updating and revision of the voters’ register 90 days before an election to allow for data clean-up, the printing of Permanent Voter Cards and other logistical preparations.
The law also requires the Commission to display the voters’ register for claims and objections within the stipulated period to enable eligible Nigerians to challenge omissions and errors and help ensure the credibility of the final register for the polls.
The INEC National Commissioner on Information and Voter Education, Mr Mohammed Haruna, told The Tide source that the Commission would not extend the deadline, stressing that the registration exercise had to close to allow the electoral body to begin cleaning the data already collected.
“By midnight on Sunday, voter registration ends. There won’t be any extension. There are so many things that we need to do at the back end. We have to draw a line; otherwise, we won’t be able to produce a clean copy of what has been posted,” he said.
Mr Haruna explained that the commission’s Information Technology team and the Voter Registration Department would begin processing the data immediately after the closure of the registration window.
He said INEC would deploy its Automated Biometric Identification System to detect and remove multiple registrations before the provisional voters’ register is displayed for public scrutiny.
“We have this automatic biometric system that will check whether somebody has registered more than once. They will publish the register for claims and objections. That is, if anybody thinks a name shouldn’t be on the register, or if he has some claims, for instance, that his name has been omitted or some of his details are incorrect,” he said.
According to him, the final number of newly registered voters would only be known after the biometric verification and the claims and objections process.
“So, it’s after all that has been done that we will have a final figure, which we will now add to the existing 93 million or so. That will then become the voters’ register. We are mandated to give every political party a copy ahead of the election,” Mr Haruna added.
Responding to concerns over the number of Nigerians who may be excluded from the 2027 electoral process by the closure, the national commissioner said INEC could only account for eligible citizens who presented themselves for registration.
He added that the commission had recorded registrations through its online platform, physical registration centres and INEC offices across the 774 local government areas.
According to a public announcement signed by Mr Ariyo Rufus, Head of Department, Voter Education, Publicity, Gender and Inclusivity on behalf of Mr Oluwatoyin Babalola, the INEC Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), the said exercise is aimed at assessing its operational readiness and testing the efficiency of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) ahead of the governorship poll.
INEC stated that the exercise would simulate Election Day accreditation procedures but clarified that no voting would take place during the exercise.
The commission explained that “the mock accreditation would be conducted in selected polling units spread across the three senatorial districts of Osun State, covering Osun Central, Osun East and Osun West.
“In Osun Central Senatorial District, the selected local government areas are Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun and Boripe, with designated polling units identified for the exercise.
“For Osun East Senatorial District, the exercise will take place in selected polling units across Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade and Obokun local government areas.”
INEC also listed Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo local government areas as the selected councils for the mock accreditation exercise in Osun West Senatorial District.
The commission urged all registered voters whose polling units were selected to participate in the exercise, stressing that only holders of valid Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would be accredited.
“This exercise is designed to test the functionality and efficiency of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) under conditions similar to Election Day. There shall be no voting during the exercise,” the Commission stated.
INEC reaffirmed its appreciation to residents of Osun State for their continued cooperation and support throughout the electoral process.
INEC also assured political parties, the media, civil society organisations and other stakeholders of the Commission’s commitment to conducting a free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive governorship election in Osun State.
Mr Dare made the remark while criticizing Alhaji Abubakar for hiring a United States of America lobbyist with $1.2 million, in preparation for the 2027 elections.
In a statement he personally signed, Mr Dare said the former vice president can’t take Nigeria down the path of self-destruction.
The statement read in part: “Worse still, for a man who presumes to offer leadership to Africa’s most populous nation, his recent resort to grievance offshoring, outsourcing political warfare to Washington and reportedly paying $1.2 million to an American lobbying firm to peddle petitions against a sitting Nigerian President, stands as an affront to Nigeria’s sovereignty and a vote of no confidence in its democratic institutions.
“It is also a stinging slight, an implicit condescension directed at generations of Nigerian journalists, policy analysts, academics, and public intellectuals who have spent decades analysing, critiquing, and carrying the burden of the nation’s democratic evolution.
“The Atiku Abubakar of today cuts a pitiable figure, a grotesque portrait of what a politician becomes when ambition overwhelms judgment and every political faculty becomes programmed for self-destruction.
“No, Atiku cannot take Nigeria down that path with him. He must travel it alone. But first, Nigerians deserve Atiku Abubakar’s report card. Charity, they say, begins at home, not in Washington.
“Nigerians deserve to know whether the Atiku Abubakar who has long presented himself as a democrat is, in reality, a politician of many colours. He has erected for himself a throne built simultaneously on sand and bayonets. It is time to explode the bayonets.”
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