Politics
Zamfara Marks PDP Secretariat For Demolition
Zamfara State Urban and Regional Planning Board (ZURPB), has marked the secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other structures as illegal and set for demolition.
Addressing newsmen at the secretariat, the spokesman of the Deputy Governor’s office, Umar Aminu Gusau expressed shock over the marking of the structure as illegal and ordering the stoppage of the activities at the secretariat.
He alleged that the secretariat was marked illegal structure due to political differences in the state, saying that the present administration does not want any opposition.
According to him, PDP leaders in the state wrote official letters to the ZUREPB, state Commissioner of Police, Department of State Security (DSS), Civil and Security Defense Corps and other relevant authorities and they all acknowledged the letters before they embarked on painting the secretariat.
“ZUREPB can not claim that we did not inform the board officially before embarking on painting the secretariat. We know that this is a power play” he added.
Gusau said that when the All Progressive Congress (APC) led by former Governor Abdul Aziz Yari, PDP in the state was allowed to operate without any molestation but the present APC administration does not want any party to challenge the government.
When asked what would be the next line of action by the leadership of PDP in the state, Gusau said the leadership of the party was waiting for the reaction of the Deputy Governor, Barrister Mahadi Aliyu Gusau who is the leader of the party presently in the state.
The Tide source can report that the newsmen were at the board premises waiting for the briefing as earlier promised by the Director-General but he did not appear to address journalists.
However, this medium gathered that there have been different opinions over the intention to demolish the PDP secretariat as some people condemned the move, saying that there were elements of politics in the whole process while others said the government did that for security reasons.
According to Ibrahim Mainasara, the APC-led government in the state does not want any strong opposition in the system, stressing that the government must have reasoned that PDP was a threat and must be silenced.
“ I advise APC to play the politics by the rules of the game instead of witch hunting another political party. The people in both APC and PDP are all Zamfara citizens and should be allowed to practice politics by choosing parties of their choices” he lamented.
The Tide source further reports that others were of the opinion that the proposed PDP Secretariat constitutes security threats, pointing out that the Secretariat was located directly opposite the state ministry of Finance.
“This is a political office of number one opposition party in the state and the thugs must always be there and can attack the ministry in case of any political problem”
As at the time of filing this report, the state government has not made any official statement regarding the intending plan to demolish PDP Secretariat in the state.
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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