Niger Delta

‘Bayelsa Gov Was Re-Elected Across Party Lines’

Published

2 years ago

December 8, 2023

Special Adviser to Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State on Inter-Party Relations, Dr Jackson Ebi Suokiri, has said Bayelsans across political party lines and affiliations re-elected the State Governor for a second term in office in the recently conducted polls in the state.
Suokiri stated this, recently, in Yenagoa, the state capital, while speaking with newsmen on the aftermath of the November 11th, 2023 Bayelss State governorship election.
He noted that due to Governor Diri’s trajectory of achievement upon his swearing-in into office in his first tenure in 2019, the Governor has demonstrated capacity to lead the state and its people in all ramifications.
He described Governor Diri as one who is prepared for the leadership of the state, emphasizing that the Governor knew the problems and needs of the state before taking oath of office in his first tenure, hence electorates, irrespective of political leanings and affiliations voted en masse to re-elect him for a second term.
The Inter-Party Adviser noted that, but for the COVID-19 pandemic and other natural and politically influenced challenges, which the Governor faced during his first year, and number of months in office, he would have outperformed what he has already achieved for the state.
Speaking on the alleged cancellation of parts of votes allegedly scored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in parts of Nembe and the Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas of the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Suokiri said going by the extant rules and guidelines of the electoral umpire for the conduct of elections, the INEC was right not to have counted votes from where elections were never held and where the bimodal voters accreditation system(BVAS) was by-passed.
“Infact, information obtained from the INEC IREV, showed that in parts of Nembe LGA, many units in Okpoama, Sylva’s home town in the Brass LGA of the state, and parts of Southern Ijaw LGA, BVAS weren’t used for accreditation, and yet figures were computed for various political parties, so it showed in the INEC IREV that voting never really took place in those areas.
“Do you expect INEC to count such votes in favour of any of the parties? I commend INEC for this feat. In all the Local Government Area Wards and units were elections were conducted in accordance with the INEC rules and guiding regulations, the winning margin between the two major candidates were competitive.
“But a situation where some person’s would hijack electoral materials and then begin to compute scores for their parties isn’t an election again.

“Democracy allows for free, fair and credible competition amongst and between parties in the most modest way, not hijacking and snatching of ballot boxes and maiming of perceived political opponents.

“If Governor Diri and the PDP had wanted to compute scores for themselves in Kolokuma/Opokuma, that’s the Governor’s home LGA, like the APC did in parts of the state, they’d have done it without anybody querying them, but because the Governor is a Democrat, he chose to allow elections to take place in his Local Government Area.

“In the end, you saw what the APC scored in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA. That means elections were held freely and fairly even in the Governor’s LGA”, Suokiri added.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

Police Detain 7, Recover Arms In A’Ibom

Published

11 minutes ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State has detained seven suspects and recovered firearms after raiding a criminal hideout in Ndiya Mfia, Ikono Local Government Area.of the State.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, made the disclosure in a statement in Uyo on Wednesday.

John said that the breakthrough which occurred at about 6.00a.m on Wednesday, followed credible intelligence from members of the public.

“We reliably gathered that criminal suspects were hibernating in a compound disguised as worshippers.

“In a decisive operation, our personnel conducted a thorough search of the premises which led to the detention and recovery of arms,” she said.

According to her, the operation was in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police to decisively combat crime in the country.

The police spokesman further said that two locally made double-barrel guns, five expended cartridges, four motorcycles and three generators were recovered during the operation.

She also listed 10 mobile phones, one police crest, four jungle boots, one peak cap, saw blade, spanner, number plates, machetes, a special force vest as other items recovered.

“We also found bottles of suspected spiritual oil and one enlarged photograph linked to an ongoing investigation,” she said.

John said that preliminary investigation suggested that the location was being used as cover for criminal operations.

She said the State’s Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Azare, has directed a comprehensive investigation on the matter in order to apprehend the principal suspect.

John expressed the commitment of the Command to rid the state of crime, and urged members of the public to always support the police with timely and credible information.

Niger Delta

Otu Launches Grassroot Security Network In C’River

Published

42 minutes ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has launched a grassroots security intelligence network, named, ”Homeland Safety and Security Agency,” to strengthen community-based surveillance and enhance safety across the state.

Otu, who inaugurated the agency’s office in the Southern Senatorial District of the state on Monday, in Calabar, said similar offices were being inaugurated in the Central and Northern Senatorial Districts.

The Governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Emmanuel Ironbar, said the officials of the agency would serve as first point of call before matters would be escalated to main security architecture in the state.

He described Homeland Security as an intelligence-driven structure focused on neighbourhood monitoring and early threat detection through coordinated local efforts.

He said the initiative constituted the directors and field operatives, tasked with gathering and forwarding intelligence to relevant security agencies for prompt action.

Otu noted that the network would serve as a first point of contact before intervention by conventional security agencies.

“It is important that we enhance monitoring of movements across our communities, border areas, and riverine zones to identify suspicious activities and enhance security response.

“The state government will provide necessary gadgets and communication tools to improve efficiency and real-time intelligence sharing,” he said.

Otu called for public cooperation, stressing that ‘’security is a collective responsibility requiring timely information from residents.’’

He said, ‘’to ensure that the security outfit works like a model unit, proper screening would be conducted on the volunteers to weed out undesirable elements from the system.’’

The Tide’s source reports that the Governor handed over 14 motor bikes to the agency’s southern Senatorial district office to enhance their efficiency.

On his part, the Director-General, South of the agency, Mr. Michael Nsan, said the volunteers had played key roles in reducing crime through coordinated patrols and intelligence sharing.

Nsan said over 1,300 volunteers currently supported the operations with additional informants providing critical information across communities.

“Crime rates dropped significantly during the last festive period due to our collaboration with law enforcement agencies in the state,” he said.

The Director-General said volunteers would undergo training and screening, with plans underway for formal recruitment through a government employment portal.

According to him, communication tools, including walkie-talkies, and patrol motorcycles had improved rapid response to security incidents.

He commended the governor’s commitment, noting that the initiative would further strengthen security architecture and community safety across the state.

The source reports that some of the dignitaries who graced the occasion were traditional rulers and government officials.

Niger Delta

Edo Defends 18-month Record, Cites Gains In Other Sectors

Published

43 minutes ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Edo State Government has defended its performance in office so far, saying ongoing projects in infrastructure, healthcare, education and security showed clear progress despite criticism from the opposition.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy in the State, Prince Kasim Afegbua, stated this at a news conference held in Benin on Wednesday.

Afegbua said the Statement Governor, Monday Okpebholo, had been focused on addressing inherited challenges rather than engaging in propaganda.

He described the recent protests against the government as driven by “faceless actors,” questioning the credibility of those behind the protests.

The Commissioner also dismissed claims that the state was stagnating.

“The current Edo narrative is cheering news to the average Edo mind. We are not into propaganda. What we are doing, you can see for yourselves”, he said.

Afegbua anchored the government’s defence on infrastructure, pointing at the ongoing and completed road projects across the state.

He also listed the near-completion of the Ramat Park flyover and a second flyover at Aduwawa Junction as some of the new infrastructural developments being carried out by the Okpebholo administration.

He also cited rehabilitation works on Sapele Road, previously abandoned, as well as multiple urban and rural road projects, spanning Edo South, Central and North Senatorial Districts.

“In 18 months, we can beat our chest that the Governor has done so much to advance critical infrastructure”, he said, noting that road construction was being accelerated despite early rains affecting timelines.

Afegbua also highlighted interventions in the education sector, stating that about 6,500 teachers had been recruited, alongside rehabilitation of dilapidated schools previously lacking basic facilities, such as desks, roofs and toilets.

“Today, you can go around and see the difference,” he said.

The Commissioner added that completed school projects had risen from 68 at the administration’s one-year mark to nearly 80.

In healthcare, he said the state government had expanded primary healthcare access by already constructing 75 centres, with a target of 160 within four years.

He said many of the facilities had been equipped to deliver immediate services at the grassroots, while work had resumed on Stella Obasanjo Hospital which, he said, was inherited at 55 per cent completion.

“We are strengthening primary healthcare because it is the first point of contact for our people,” he said.

On higher education, Afegbua disclosed that the state recently committed N2 billion to infrastructure development at Edo State University, Iyamho, while also increasing its monthly subvention from N100 million to N250 million.

Government, he said, had also provided buses to support students’ mobility.

Beyond infrastructure and social services, he pointed at the economic support initiatives, including a N1 billion interest-free loan scheme for market women and another N1 billion set aside for students’ bursaries.

All these, he noted, were aimed at easing economic pressure and expanding access to education.

While acknowledging that security incidents had shifted from urban centres to the hinterlands, Afegbua, however, maintained that overall security had improved significantly in the state.

“The way kidnapping was rife when we took over, I think it has dropped maximally,” he said, citing bush-combing operations, arrests and destruction of criminal hideouts.

He also stated that government had procured over 100 Hilux vans and 300 motorcycles for security agencies.

Similarly, he said government had supported the local vigilante operations and established a rapid response mechanism for road maintenance and emergency interventions.

Afegbua further said that local governments had been empowered with heavy-duty equipment to open rural roads and improve mobility, describing the decentralised approach as critical to grassroots development.

“We need the cooperation of everyone. Security is not just about government; it is about collective responsibility,” he added.

Responding to concerns about transparency, particularly around contract costs, the commissioner insisted that all projects followed due procurement processes and were approved by the State Executive Council.

“If you check with the Ministry of Works, you can always get the cost of those contracts,” he said, stressing that the administration was prudent in resource management.