Politics
N’ Delta Youth Move Against Buhari’s Re-Election
Youths of the oil-rich Niger Delta region have vowed to work against moves that would extend President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration beyond 2018.
The youths under the aegis of the Niger Delta Youth Coalition (NDYC) who made the vow after their meeting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital said the administration of President Buhari lacks the capacity to lead the country in modern time.
Spokesman of NDYC, Godwin Ibinabo said Nigerians have been subjected to extreme poverty and avoidable divisions and the only way to extricate the citizenry is to mobilize all legitimate forces towards ensuring that Buhari’s leadership ends at a single term.
The group therefore called on youths from Northern part of the country to carefully select credible and capable presidential hopefuls that will take over from Buhari at the expiration of the present administration.
Ibinabo noted that the youths of the country suffer more from incidences of visionless leadership in Nigeria as government, rather than prompt development, has shut them out from employment opportunities and death of infrastructure.
“For the past two years and half, the nation has continued to degenerate. No job, no infrastructure, no end to Boko Haram war that has gulped billions of Dollas.
We shall no longer watch this ?? administration that is full of empty and unrealizable promises continue while we wallow in poverty in midst of abundant resources’, he said.
He also accused Buhari’s administration of incapable of accounting for the so much money recovered from dubious Nigerians in his anti-corruption fight and challenged Buhari to tell Nigerians what he has been able to achieve.
NDYC further stressed the need for the emergence of younger persons as the presidential hopefuls adding that the era of old and weak leaders should be over for Nigeria to move to the next level.
Nigerians, he said, gave Buhari, the opportunity hoping that the change he promised them will manifest in positive turn of event but regretted that what they were getting after voting him into office is negative change.
“We have seen his change and now it is obvious that his change is not what we desire, the option now is to endure him throughout this tenure while efforts be made to bring a man or woman that can give the nation positive change”, he stated.
Commenting on restructuring, the group spokesman said restructuring is overdue and that only those who are benefitting from the present lopesided structure are scarred of restructuring the nation.
“In the actual sense of true federalism, the resources should be produced by the federating states who in turn pay tax to the central government. But in our present system of federalism everything is under the control of the centre”, he said.
He maintained that instead of encouraging productivity and wealth creation, the ?? style of federalism is frustrating development and resulting in agitations.
By: Chris Oluoh.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
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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