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PDP Senators Caution APC On Saraki

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The memmbers of the Senate caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday warned their counterparts in the All Progressives Congress, APC, over comments attacking the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
PDP Senate caucus cautioned its APC counterpart to stop dragging the name of Saraki, “into the schemes and plots by Senators-elect” of the ruling party on who gets elected into the leadership of the ninth Senate.
The party caucus stated that it has observed closely as the contenders for the various Senate leadership positions in the APC are sponsoring various publications in the media to make it appear like Dr. Saraki is seeking to play a role in the leadership of the next Senate.
They issued the warning in a statement signed by Senate Minority Leader, Senator Biodun Olujimi, and Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Sen. Dino Melaye.
According to the caucus, “surreptitious attempts to drag Saraki into the issue that does not concern him would not augur well for the smooth take-off of the next Senate and could only create suspicion and ill-will among the incumbent Senators and the incoming ones.”
The statement reads: “We have noted with regret and surprise how some Senators who are interested in becoming the next Senate President and those seeking to occupy various leadership positions in the next Senate have been busy dragging the name of the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, into their schemes for fulfilling their ambitions. We believe those involved in this dirty game are only afraid of the shadow of the Senate President.
“Such people should know that Dr. Saraki is not interested in their plots, schemes and manipulation. His concern now is to continue to provide leadership to the Eighth Senate and to ensure that the Senate achieves as much as it is possible in the remaining two months of its tenure.
“It is obvious that many Senators and even Senators-elect still defer to Saraki. And this is understandable because he is a national leader of the PDP. He is a respected Senator who has also provided solid leadership for the Senate. So, those who are afraid of his influence should find a positive way to deal with that, not sponsoring falsehood in the media.
“Last week, PDP Senators paid Dr. Saraki a visit in his home as a way of encouraging him and in recognition of the personal sacrifice that he has had to make for providing strong and purposeful leadership to the National Assembly, for protecting the independence of the legislature and judiciary, separation of powers, inclusiveness in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious Nigeria and working for the creation of a conducive environment for business to thrive. Those who are not sure of their grounds in their quest for Senate leadership are busy putting a spin on that visit.
“Let it be known that no matter the mischief being sponsored by these spineless people, Dr. Saraki knows that it is the duty of all Senators in the Ninth Senate to elect their Senate President and other leaders. Nobody from outside the Senate has such powers. It is also the right of every Senator to aspire to that position as stated by the constitution. He has benefitted from this practice of Senators within the chambers exercising the right. He is conscious of this fact and will not be a party to any plan to seize or interfere with the process of evolving the leadership of the Ninth Senate.
“We, therefore, urge the APC gladiators and their handlers to leave Saraki out of their schemes and manipulations. They should go and concentrate on how to convince the Senators-elect and ensuring that the election of the next Senate President takes place in a conducive atmosphere with a view to strengthening the institution and making it perform its constitutional roles, without any hindrance”.

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2027: INEC To Conduct Nationwide Electoral Equipment Test Run In November

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conduct a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November, 2026, as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this when he received the Chargé d’Affaires of the Canadian High Commission to Nigeria, Mr David Sproule, and other officials on a courtesy visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Prof. Amupitan said the exercise would provide an opportunity for the Commission to conduct a rigorous field test of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other critical electoral equipment ahead of the general elections.

He explained that the mock accreditation was designed to identify and address possible operational and technical challenges before the 2027 polls.

According to him, the Commission is determined to build on the lessons learnt from recent off-cycle elections in strengthening its operational readiness and improving the electoral process.

The INEC chairman said the November exercise would form part of broader measures aimed at ensuring the Commission is adequately prepared to conduct credible, transparent and efficient general elections in 2027.

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APC Group Vows To Mobilise 50 Votes Per Unit In Rivers

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The APC Christian Leaders Forum of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter, has vowed to mobilize 50 votes from each voting point for all candidates of the All Progressive Congress (APC) during the forthcoming 2027 general elections in the state.

State Coordinator of the forum, Archbishop Lucky Aroh, stated this during the Renewed Hope Candidates Mandate Dedication Service and Cutting of Campaign Cake in Port Harcourt. The t

heme for the dedication service was ‘The Fingers of God ‘.


Archbishop Aroh said the pledge was in line with the directive from the national headquarters of the Forum, adding that his group has overwhelming presence in all the polling units in the state.He also said the Forum under his care was mobilizing Christians across all polling units with a view to ensuring massive victory for all APC candidates in the state.

The Forum state Coordinator said God was with all APC Candidates in the state and predicted their victory.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Aroh has said that there is no ethnic politics in Rivers State.

He said those contesting elections were doing so for their interest, adding that everyone has a right to support any group or individual.

Archbishop Aroh however warned against campaign of calumny.

Also speaking, National President of the group, Dr Olanrewaju  Abraham, commended the Rivers State chapter for its continuous mobilization of Christians across the state for candidates of APC the in the state.

The National president, who was represented by the south-south deputy zonal coordinator, Archbishop Prince Gideon, said the forum was determined to deliver massive votes for candidates of the APC across Rivers State and the south-south geopolitical zone.

In his own remarks, the Coordinator of APC support groups in Rivers State, Reverend Christian Ahiakwo, said no fewer than 177 support groups have been registered in the state so far.

He said more groups were indicating interest to join in the campaign for APC candidates in the state.


The Coordinator further predicted that Rivers State would witness peacefully campaigns and election, describing the emergence of Rt Hon. Ogundu Chinda as APC Gubernatorial candidate and other candidates of the party as an act of God The Women Leader of the APC in Rivers State, Hon. Darling Amadi, commended the Forum for its untiring efforts towards the mobilization of Christians for the party in the state.

She said the party was already aware of the effort of the group and would reward them exceedingly.

Hon. Amadi further encouraged them not to relent while assuring them of support.

John Bibor 
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No Propaganda’ll Stop Rivers Voters From Supporting Tinubu – Dike

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A renown politician and lawyer, Mr Princewill Dike, has said that no vile propaganda or negative comments would prevent him, his supporters and the entire Rivers voting population from supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.

He said President Tinubu has performed creditably, going by his visible and verifiable people-oriented projects across the country.


Mr Dike stated this on his Facebook page at the weekend.

While reacting to the recent debate over the removal of fuel subsidy, the legal practitioner said the position of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on the issue was an indication that the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was desperate in his quest for political power.

He recalled that Alhaji Abubakar had previously described fuel subsidy as a huge fraud, stressing that his recent promise to restore the subsidy if elected president was inconsistent with his earlier position.

According to him, the decision of President Tinubu’s administration to remove fuel subsidy, though initially difficult for Nigerians, has increased the revenue available to the three tiers of government and created greater fiscal space for development.

Mr Dike argued that the increased allocation accruing to states and local governments from the the federation account had enabled many of them to meet their financial obligations, including the payment of workers’ salaries, while also undertaking development projects.

The Ikwerre-born legal icon said the Federal Government had equally embarked on major infrastructure projects under President Tinubu, citing the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Highway as examples of projects capable of boosting economic activities and national integration.

The political commentator further maintained that the transformation taking place in Abuja and other parts of the country was evidence that resources accruing to government were being channelled into infrastructure and other areas of public sector development.

Mr Dike said available records indicated that the Federal Government had recorded substantial savings following the removal of fuel subsidy, adding that such savings, if properly managed, could continue to support critical infrastructure and social development.

He cautioned Nigerians against what he described as campaign promises designed merely to secure electoral support, urging them to examine the policies and records of political leaders rather than relying on propaganda and political rhetoric.

 

Mr Dike, however, expressed confidence that Nigerians, including the people of Rivers State, would assess the performance of President Tinubu’s administration objectively before making their choice in the 2027 general elections, insisting that, in his assessment, the President was doing well and deserved support for a second term.

King Onunwor 
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