Niger Delta

APC Rejects Conduct Of Presidential, NASS Polls In A’Ibom

Published

11 years ago

April 1, 2015

Chairman, Rivers State NUJ, Mr. Opaka Dokubo with his executive officers having a group photograph with foreign observers, 2015 general election in his office in Port Harcourt. Photo: Egberi A. Sampson

The All Progressives
Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom on Monday staged a peaceful protest against the alleged irregularities in last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Leading the party faithful in the protest, the APC governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom, Mr Umana Okon Umana, called for the cancellation of the poll, describing it as a farce.
Our correspondent reports that the protesters stormed INEC office in Uyo at about 12.30 p.m. while the collation of the presidential election in the state was ongoing.
Umana said that the party would not accept the results for the presidential and NASS elections held in the state.
He said that the party, after a review of the field reports on the elections across the state, had come to the conclusion that the elections be cancelled.
The APC governorship candidate said that the call was based on the fact that the elections were not conducted in accordance with the Electoral Law and INEC’s guidelines.
He alleged that in all polling stations no result sheets were found for recording the outcome of the poll.
Umana wondered who withheld such sensitive materials needed for the conduct of elections as stipulated by INEC guidelines.
He alleged that the INEC officials had supplied fake result sheets to the polling units in the state when his party raised alarm over absence of result sheets.
Umana further alleged that the result sheets supplied obviously lacked security imprints often found in the original result sheet.
“In Ibesikpo Asutan local government area, the commissioner for local government, Mr Uwem Ita Etuk, went around with policemen and thugs beating up and maiming people.
“There were also widespread violence and other irregularities in polling units in Ukanafun and other local government areas across the state.
“In most part of Ukanafun, INEC staff clearly took side and refused to be an umpire in the elections,” Umana alleged.
The APC candidate therefore called on INEC to cancel the elections and reschedule fresh polls that would be conducted within and not in breach of electoral guidelines.
Responding, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Austin Okojie, thanked the party leadership in the state and their supporters for conducting the protest peacefully.
Okojie promised to forward their protest letter to INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, for action

Niger Delta

Stakeholders In Delta Seek Stronger GBV Action, Women’s Leadership

Published

15 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Stakeholders in Delta State convened in Asaba for a leadership workshop organised by Otdel Health Heritage and Environmental Initiative (OHHEI), focusing on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and women’s participation in decision-making processes.

OHHEI Project Director, Mr. Peter Olayinka, represented by a consultant, Juliet Obiajulu, urged participants to contribute meaningfully toward advancing women’s leadership and combating GBV across communities in the state.

He said the workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to influence policies, challenge harmful cultural norms, and reinforce initiatives designed to prevent and respond to GBV.

Olayinka said women often faced bias even when they occupied leadership positions, and stressed that gender diversity improved the quality of decision-making and promoted innovation and accountability in governance structures.

Speaking, the Chairperson of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Mr Eris Jewo-Ibi, identified cultural norms, domestic responsibilities, political resistance, and grassroots barriers as constraints to women’s participation.

Delta State GBV Desk Officer, Mrs. Rosemary Okpuno, emphasised that effective decision-making required women’s perspectives, adding that inclusion remained critical to addressing persistent gender-based challenges.

Voke Angbagh of the Delta State Ministry of Justice outlined penalties for rape and called for the establishment of special courts to handle sexual offences cases.

Angbagh said frequent adjournments delayed justice for survivors, stressing that dedicated sexual offences courts would ensure timely trials and stronger protection for victims in Delta State.

The Tide’s source reports that facilitators identified cultural acceptance of violence, unequal power relations, discrimination, poverty, limited education, and low self-esteem as major drivers of GBV.

They emphasised that violence and exclusion resulted in social, physical and emotional harm, imposed economic costs, reinforced harmful stereotypes, and widened existing gender inequalities.

The source also reports that OHHEI, a local non-profit organisation, focuses on education, health, environment, and social justice, promoting sustainable development initiatives with gender equality at the centre of its interventions.

Niger Delta

C’River Suspends Taskforce Activities Over Drivers’ Protest

Published

15 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State Government has suspended all taskforce activities connected to commercial transportation and ticketing across the state.

The State Governor, Bassey Otu, announced the suspension at an emergency stakeholders meeting on Friday in Calabar.

It would be recalled that commercial drivers in Calabar metropolis took to streets on Thursday to protest alleged multiple taxation and extortion by government agencies.

During the protest, the drivers alleged that taskforce groups claiming to represent the state government openly harassed and extorted them.

Represented at the meeting by Ekpenyong Akiba, his Special Adviser on General Duties, Otu said the suspension would subsist pending further review of the situation.

The Governor stated that the state government did not commission anyone to extort drivers in the name of task force.

He urged commercial drivers and other road users to remain law-abiding while government worked out a lasting solution.

On his part, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Calabar Metropolis, Mr. Sunday Dennis, expressed optimism that the dialogue would yield positive results.

He said the meeting had provided an opportunity for the aggrieved commercial drivers to present their concerns directly to the state government.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Unified Drivers Association, Mr. Nta Henshaw, described the harassment on drivers as worrisome, and urged the state government to be decisive in resolving the matter.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Assembly Urges More Private Investments In Agriculture

Published

15 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security has called for more private sector investments in agriculture.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Moses Essien, made the call when the committee visited Aviclaire Farms, a private establishment in Usung Idem, Uruk Usoh in Abak Local Government Area.

Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom in the Assembly, commended the Management of the farm for partnering an NGO, ECEWS, to promote private investment in agriculture.

He commended the partners for adopting climate-smart agriculture initiatives in their operations, adding that such move would promote food security.

“Your interest in using transformative intervention to promote food security is a veritable way of complementing the efforts of the state government,” he said.

The lawmaker continued that adopting practical climate-smart agriculture model would help to generate employment, improve nutrition outcomes, and strengthen food sufficiency.

He further said he was impressed with the strides recorded by the partners, saying, “your investment has created jobs for no fewer than 2,000 youths.

”You are an example of an environment-friendly investor. I urge Akwa Ibom residents to embrace environment-friendly and technology-driven agriculture models,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, ECEWS, Dr. Andy Eyo, who conducted the committee round the farm, said the collaboration was conceived to demonstrate the viability of climate-smart farming in ensuring food sufficiency.

Eyo said the farm, which commenced operations with four greenhouses, had expanded to 14 within two years, and currently supplying high-quality produce to major markets in Uyo and neighbouring communities.

He said ECEWS was exploring cooperative frameworks to enable rural farmers and women’s groups to adopt greenhouse technology for sustainable livelihoods.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Aviclaire Farms, Mrs. Victoria Eyo, said the controlled-environment ensured precision cultivation and consistent yields.

She further said the farm served as a capacity-building centre for students, interns, and agri-business trainees.