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Americans Elect President, ’Morrow

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Tomorrow, the first Tuesday of November, 2016, eligible American voters across all the 50 states, including Washington, D.C., Alaska, and other small island territories, will troop out to vote for their next president.

Although over the last couple of weeks, more than 40 million Americans in 38 states have already cast their ballots in early voting. To win the race for the White House, a candidate needs 270 Electoral College votes.

Polls after polls have shown the Democratic Party Presidential candidate, Hillary R. Clinton ahead of her Republican rival, Donald J. Trump, although the polls have been tightening in recent days, no thanks to the FBI Director, James Comey’s announcement of relaunch of investigation into the Democratic nominee’s private email server penultimate Friday.

As at Saturday, while Clinton was estimated to hold 268 Electoral College votes, dropping 2 votes from 204, Trump was struggling with 168. Some eight toss-up states could swing victory for the candidates.

About 80million more votes are likely between today and end of voting on Tuesday. The dark cloud cast on Clinton’s chances by the comey letter to Congress was rested yesterday, nine days after the firestorm. The FBI stands by its July conclusions, essentially exonerating Clinton.

Over the last few days of the race, Trump has travelled all over the country, from Florida, North Carolina, Nevada, Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and even Minnesota, a mostly blue state.

It’s an impressive travel schedule, but it may reflect the biggest challenge facing him right now: It’s still not clear exactly where and how he would win.

Hillary Clinton has a consistent and clear advantage in states worth at least 270 electoral votes, even if the race has undoubtedly tightened over the last few weeks. But even that understates the challenge facing Trump’s campaign: It’s not at all obvious where he has his best chance of breaking through, making it harder for him to concentrate his efforts over the last days of the campaign.

This is not to say that Trump can’t win. The polls could be off across the board.

But even if he wins Arizona, Iowa, Ohio, Utah, North Carolina, Florida and New Hampshire, he’s still short of a victory.

He’s not assured to win any of those states, to be clear — although he’s a clear favourite in Iowa and Utah at this point. He has trailed in more live interview polls of North Carolina and Florida than he has led, although the national race has tightened since many were taken.

But he would still need to win one of the following states: Pennsylvania, Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado, Virginia, or perhaps New Mexico or Minnesota.

Of all of these states, the only one where Trump has really been close in the polls is Nevada.

But Nevada is also the state where we know the most about the results because of early voting, and it hasn’t brought good news for Trump.

Even so, he’ll still need to win one of these blue states to win the presidency.

Democrats have largely replicated the turnout from 2012 (when President Barack Obama ultimately won the state by about seven points), thanks in no small part to a strong turnout among Hispanic voters.

This might seem difficult to reconcile with the polling, but Nevada is a state where pollsters have underestimated Democrats in the past. One theory is that the polls are not very good at capturing the most Democratic-leaning Hispanic voters. And indeed, the polls showing Trump ahead in the state have shown a smaller lead for Clinton among non-white voters than seems plausible, particularly given his rhetoric against Hispanic immigrants.

Perhaps, Trump will mount a huge comeback in Nevada on Election Day. Or maybe Democrats are much weaker among registered Democrats or unaffiliated voters than most analysts believe.

But if Clinton does indeed have a big advantage in Nevada, then his chances start looking very bleak: He’s at a disadvantage in the polls of all of the other states that could put him over the top.

What’s more, it’s not really clear where he has his best chance — something reflected in Trump’s unfocused pre-election push.

Pennsylvania seemed like Trump’s best option earlier in the year, but he hasn’t led a live interview poll there since the summer. The final non-partisan live interview polls there show Clinton ahead by a comfortable margin of four to six points. The state will probably be close, but it’s quite clear that she has the edge.

Wisconsin is another state that seemed as if it could be promising for Trump. It has a large population of white working-class Democrats, just as Iowa does, and Trump is running well in Iowa. But he has struggled among Republican-leaning voters in the Milwaukee suburbs.

The race could tighten if these voters return to his side, but he hasn’t led a live interview poll there all year.

Michigan could be a more interesting option for Trump. It was the most Democratic of all of these states in the 2012 election, and he hasn’t led a poll there all year either. But recent polls have shown a relatively tight race there.

Clinton visited the state on Friday, and President Obama was there yesterday and is visiting today, and Clinton will make another stop on Monday, so clearly, the Clinton campaign thinks there’s some softness there. That said, if the election comes down to whether Trump can score an upset in Michigan, he’s in a lot of trouble. It seems hard to imagine he could carry the state without also carrying Pennsylvania.

Colorado is a notch tougher than any of those states. The demographics and polling are both tough for Trump. It has one of the best-educated populations in the country, along with a large Hispanic population.

There was one recent poll that showed a tied race in Colorado, but most have shown Clinton with a lead. Like Nevada, Colorado is also a state where the Democrats have outperformed their final poll numbers in every presidential election since 2004. The early vote numbers are strong for the Democrats there as well.

Virginia is like Colorado: Neither polls nor demographics seem promising for Trump. Ultimately, the fact that the race is close in North Carolina is a very strong indicator that Clinton has a big lead in Virginia. Early voting results show Clinton in the lead in North Carolina, which Trump needs to win.

Then there are states like Minnesota and New Mexico. The polls have not shown an especially tight race, and Clinton is not campaigning or airing advertisements there. Trump’s team has held out some hope of winning, but these states seem especially unlikely to decide the election.

Again, the polls are close enough that the possibility of a victory for Trump is still quite real. But it’s just not clear exactly how or where he would break through. It doesn’t seem that the Trump campaign knows either.

But for the Clinton campaign, a close-out rally in Philadelphia, the most populous district in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, is the best way to prepare for a victory party late Tuesday.

 

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Court Arraigns Rivers Traditional Ruler Over Impersonation, Other Charges 

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A traditional ruler in Rivers State, Eze Victor Prince Worluchem, has been docked at a State Senior Magistrate Court on six-count charges bordering on impersonation, misrepresentation, and false pretence.

 

The charges, marked PMC/2/12026, alleged that Worluchem falsely paraded himself as the paramount ruler of Port Harcourt City and Majesty of Rebisi Kingdom, despite a court order restraining him from doing so.

 

The six-count charges against Worluchem include disobeying a court order in Suit No PHC/18/8/2013, which restrained him from parading himself as Eze Ebar Rebisi III of Rebisi Kingdom, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace by falsely and fraudulently presenting himself as Majesty of Rebisi Kingdom.

 

These offences are punishable under Section 133 and Section 2 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol. II Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria 1999.

 

During the court proceedings, Worluchem pleaded not guilty to all six charges.

 

His counsel, U.G. Wokocha, applied for bail, arguing that the offences were bailable and that his client had reliable sureties.

 

However, Senior Magistrate, Kingsley Briggs, refused to grant him bail on self-recognition, but granted him bail with two sureties in the sum of N500,000.

 

The sureties are required to be blood relatives or recognized persons in society with a reliable source of livelihood, not above 55 years old.

 

The court adjourned the matter to July 21, 2025, for continuation of hearing.

 

After the proceedings, Lawrence Ufomba, counsel for the complainant and Port Harcourt Council of Chiefs, briefed journalists on the court’s decision, while Worluchem’s counsel declined to comment.

 

 

 

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Immigration Plays Strategic Role In Nation Building -Worika

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The Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Prof. Ibibia Lucky Worika, has emphasised that the Nigerian Immigration Service plays pivotal role in nation building.

 

Prof. Worika made this observation when the new Comptroller of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Rivers State Command, CIS Shehu Umar, led the management of the Nigerian Immigration Training School Ahoada (NITSA), on a courtesy visit to his office in Port Harcourt, yesterday.

 

According to him, the strategic position of the Immigration Service in ensuring the safety of our borders is important for the peace and security of the nation.

 

This was contained in a statement by the Head of the Press Unit.

Office of Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Juliana Masi, yesterday.

 

Worika assured the Immigration of the State Government’s determination to support security and para-military agencies and ensure the security of the State.

 

He acknowledged their services and collaboration with sister agencies to enhance law and order, and encouraged them to hold up the positive impact in state building.

 

In response to ongoing recruitment into the immigration and sister agencies, he maintained that the State will continue to encourage her citizens to join the service.

 

In his remarks, the Comptroller of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Rivers State Command and Commandant NITSA, CIS Shehu Umar, thanked the State Government for the consistent support to the state command and NITSA.

 

He noted that NITSA is the only immigration institution located within the entire South-South geopolitical zone to address manpower training needs of junior cadet since 2001.

 

 

 

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Senate Confirms Chibudom Nwuche S’South Dev. Commission Chair 

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The Senate yesterday confirmed Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, as Chairman of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC).

Also confirmed was Usoro Offiong Akpabio from Akwa Ibom State as the Managing Director of the commission.

However, Tijani Yahaya Kaura, the nominee representing the North-West, was not cleared after failing to submit necessary documents and refusing to appear before the screening committee.

The committee noted that the window remains open should he eventually present himself for the process.

The Senate also confirmed the following nominees as members of the SSDC board: Rt. Hon. Larry Odey – Member, Cross River; Charles Zuofa – Member, Bayelsa; Dr. Nkereuwem Ebong – Member, Akwa Ibom; Engr. Chika Chinedu – Member, Rivers; Barr. Femi Oise – Member, Edo; and Dr. Charles Sylvester Enukhowhate – Member, Delta.

The Senate also confirmed Tabitha Iliya Sallah as Member for the North-East; Alh. Yusuf Rasaq Amao – Member, North-Central; Joseph Mmamal – Member, South-East; and Hon. Bukonola Braimoh – Member, South-West

Confirmed executive directors include: Hon. Marcus Nie Eji – Executive Director, Projects (Rivers); Engr. Aganaba Preye Steven – Executive Director, Social and Human Capital Development (Bayelsa); Dr. Timi Alari Ayibatonye – Executive Director, Corporate Services (Delta); Hon. Joseph Ugheoke – Executive Director, Commercial and Environmental Development (Edo); and Amb. Sony Abang – Executive Director, Finance (Cross River).

The confirmations followed the presentation of the report of the Senate Committee on South-South Development Commission, chaired by Senator Benson Konbowei (PDP, Bayelsa Central).

Presenting the report, Senator Konbowei stated: “That the Senate do receive and consider the report of the Committee on South-South Development Commission on the confirmation of the nomination for appointment as Chairman, Managing Director, and Members of the Board of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC).”

It will be recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had, last month, submitted the list of nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio read the president’s request during plenary and referred it to the appropriate committee, which was tasked to report back within one week.

 

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