Politics
Osun Poll: Group Accuses Politicians Of Attempting To Manipulate Process
An election monitoring group, YIAGA Africa, has identified suspected threats to the peaceful conduct of the Osun State governorship election scheduled for July 16.
It told journalists in Osogbo on Wednesday that the recent escalation in the activities of political thugs, cultism and voter inducement were potential threats.
“Yiaga Africa’s pre-election reports have revealed the activities of cultists and political thugs in some local government areas as capable of threatening the peaceful and credible conduct of the election, if not contained.
“In addition to these threats, there are also attempts by some political mercenaries to manipulate the process right from the pre-election stage.
“In spite of the foregoing, the preparation for the Osun governorship election has seen a religious implementation of the electoral timeline by INEC,’’ YIAGA Africa’s director of programme, Cynthia Mbamalu, said.
Ms Mbamalu added that the rate of voter inducement across the state increased, adding that the group was also concerned about the utterances of some state political actors in their efforts to woo voters.
“We call on these actors, especially those of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to exercise restraint and advise their supporters to play by the rules,’’ she stressed.
In his remarks, a YIAGA Africa board member, Ezenwa Nwangu, commended INEC for its preparatory activities and called on it to provide better oversight at its local government areas offices.
Mr Nwagwu also said the distribution of money, gifts and food items by political parties and candidates induced voters featured throughout the campaign period.
“During this reporting period, more events associated with voter inducement were reported in Ife Central, Ife North, Ifedayo, Ilesa West and Odo-Otin local government areas.
“Specifically, food items such as garri and beans were seen being distributed to people as a campaign strategy in these local government
A chieftain of the Simplified Movement, Oyigbo Chapter and Prime Minister of Okoloma-Ndoki Council of Traditional Rulers’, Chief Sampson Akaya, has said that Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s policies and people- oriented development projects and programmes will guarantee him a second term ticket in the 2027 governorship polls in Rivers State.
Chief Akaya stated this while exchanging views with newsmen recently in Afam Okoloma -Ndoki, headquarters of Oyigbo Local Government Area, on the most remarkable strides in policies and programmes of the Fubara-led administration in the state for the past one year.
“For the first time, after the first indigenous Military Governor of old Rivers State and Amanyanabo of Twon-Brass, His Majesty, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, we are having a government that is transforming all the nooks and crannies of the state simultaneously. Go to the 23 Local Government Areas of the state, the story of quality service delivery is the same. So, why won’t such a Governor get a second term.
“What Rivers people should rather be praying for, is for the Governor to keep doing the right thing, despite the avalanche of distractions by those who never wished the state and her people well, when he returns.
“His rescue mission mantra must continue unabated. Rivers people can’t afford to return to the land of Egypt, when we are on the march to the promised land, where milk and honey flows”, Chief Akaya declared.
The royal father used the opportunity to thank Governor Fubara for the appointment of Engr Gogo Philip as Chairman, Caretaker Committee of Oyigbo LGA.
“I am indeed happy that the Governor deemed him fit to serve the LGA in that capacity. Primarily, his vision is to take the LGA to the next level. What he touches becomes gold and this is courtesy of God’s grace; and now that he is involved in the development of Oyigbo LGA, he will do his very best to ensure that Oyigbo becomes one of the finest in Nigeria.
“He knows quite well that with Governor Siminalayi Fubara in the saddle of governance in the state, every sectors of the economy, especially those of them in the LGAs, would enjoy unquenchable transformation fire, where better future will thrive.”
On his fitness to govern Rivers State, Chief Akaya said that the Governor has the wherewithal to rule the state beyond 2027 in order to attract more democracy dividends to the people.
He, however, urged the Governor not to be deterred, going by the political crisis rocking the state, adding that “No amount of distractions can change the narratives of the Governor’s commitment to quality service delivery, as to take the state and her people to a better development pedestal”.
Bethel Toby
He said if lack of funds for tuition had hindered them from going to school, they could now grab the Tinubu administration‘s students loan to go to school.
“The loan scheme is a beacon of hope for those interested in going to school, for they have no reason not to go to school any longer,” he said.
Senator Jibrin spoke at Amani Events Centre, Kano, during the distribution of admission letters to beneficiaries of his postgraduate foreign scholarship programme.
Barau Jibrin Foundation has sponsored 70 graduates from Kano to do Master’s in Canada, United States, India and others in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Information Security and Cyber Forensic as well as Robotics Science.
He noted that the Foreign Scholarship Programme was a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) identifying and supporting gifted and talented youths in Kano State to acquire postgraduate degrees in selected fields to give them competitive advantage to contribute to development of Nigeria.
Five of the beneficiaries are women, it was learnt.
“In this first edition, we are sponsoring 70 candidates from our three senatorial districts to pursue higher degrees abroad. This is to expose them to best global educational standards in their fields.
“The scholarship is designed to showcase our commitment to educational development of our youths, who we considered as pillars of societal development.
“At Jibrin Foundation, we give pride to development of the youth, who reshape and energise our society. What we are doing is a demonstration of the hallmark of our political ideology to build and empower the youth to secure our future and society,” he said.
He noted that beneficiaries were picked on merit, not because of political party or geographical affiliation.
Senator Jibrin called on the private sector and individuals to support the Tinubu administration’s efforts in revolutionising the education sector, as government, he said, could not do it alone.
The resignation letters, dated September 4 and September 6, 2024, were addressed to their party’s respective local government and ward chairmen.
The resigning aides are Osayande Emenya (Ward 6, Oredo Local Government), Henry Osaheni Ukato (Ward 6, Oredo Local Government), Efosa Edo-Osagie (Ward 6, Oredo Local Government), and Timothy Edokpolor (Ward 8, Ikpoba Okha Local Government).
The aides cited non-payment of salaries since their appointments as their primary reason for resigning. They also complained about the alleged marginalisation of original party members, stating: “We are resigning from the party based on the principles of equity, fairness, and justice, which are no longer upheld at the ward levels, coupled with the marginalisation of the original PDP members who have sustained the party.”
However, the aides did not disclose their future political destination.
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