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Don’t Use Oro Festival As Ploy to Disenfranchise Voters, Rhode-Vivour Appeals to Organisers

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7 days ago

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The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (GRV), has declared that the commencement of Oro festival in parts of Lagos will not affect his chances of winning the March 18 election.

Media reports say Oba Elegushi of Ikate and Oba of Ijegun have announced the commencement of Oro cult festival from Thursday, March 16, to Saturday, March 18, 2023.

Rhodes-Vivour warned that the festival should not serve as a ploy to prevent voters from exercising their civic rights.

“Traditional rulers know better not to do any festival that will in any way disenfranchise any voter,” he said in a video post shared on Wednesday.

Oro is a traditional Yoruba cult festival, in which women, visitors, and non-members are forbidden from witnessing their activities, and it usually comes with a curfew.

GRV has been tipped by several analysts to defeat the incumbent, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

His Labour Party won the presidential election in the State on February 25 despite reported intimidation by supporters of the APC presidential candidate.

The Labour Party’s governorship candidate insisted that Oro festival should not be used to scare people from coming out to vote, especially in the areas where LP won during the presidential election.

Labour Party defeated APC in Eti-Osa and Alimosho local councils where the festival is reportedly scheduled to take place.

GRV said: “We will come out in force and insist that [there will not be] any form of intimidation or harassment on Saturday, and our votes will count.”

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APC Suspends SGF Boss Mustapha for Losing Polling Unit, SWC Reacts

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9 hours ago

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March 23, 2023

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The All Progressives Congress in Adamawa State has suspended the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, for losing his polling unit to the Peoples Democratic Party at the presidential and governorship polls.

The party disclosed that the SGF did not contribute to the victory of its presidential and governorship candidates.

Announcing the suspension at a press conference in Yola, chairman of Gwadabawa Ward said Mustapha was not committed to APC’s victory at the presidential election.

He stated that the indefinite suspension followed complaints from his ward, adding that no individual could be above the party that gave them the platform.

But in a sudden twist to the announcement of the indefinite suspension slammed on the SGF, the State Working Committee of the party under the leadership of the acting Chairman, Chief Samaila Tadawus, declared the announcement as “unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect.”

The Adamawa State APC SWC, also announced the directive on the local government executive committee of Yola North, to constitute a disciplinary committee to immediately investigate and recommend appropriate action.

Secretary of the party, Dr. Raymond Chidama, who addressed journalists at the party secretariat on behalf of the SWC, frowned at the penchant of party members who were being sponsored by “opposition elements within the party with malicious intent to attack elders of the party through actions that flagrantly disregard the party’s constitution.”

He said, “We hereby state clearly that such suspension is unconstitutional, null and void and is of no effect, because the state working committee has warned the ward executives in the past to desist from this acts of targeting elders of the party and disregarding constitutional provisions, appropriate sanctions will be applied after thorough investigations.”

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Massive Jubilation in Abia as INEC Declares Otti Governor-Elect

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9 hours ago

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March 23, 2023

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The Independent National Electoral Commission, on Wednesday, declared the governorship candidate of Labour Party in Abia State, Alex Otti, as the winner of last Saturday’s governorship poll in the state.

The declaration of the poll results came after days of tension and protests in the state, following suspension of results collation by INEC.

But INEC, on Wednesday, declared that Otti polled 175,5467 votes to defeat his closest rival, Okey Ahiwe of the Peoples Democratic Party, who polled 88,529 votes.

The Returning Officer, Prof. Nnenna Oti, therefore returned him as the winner.

Following Otti’s victory, his party and supporters went wild with jubilation.

Our correspondent reports that some youths removed off their shirts, waving party’s flag and dancing along the streets of Umuahia the state capital and Aba, the commercial nerve centre of the state.

The carnival-like jubilation led to gridlock throughout the metropolis.

Some of the jubilant youthed painted their faces with powder and chalk, while others paraded their cultural masquerades, shouting, “Happy Independence Abia State!”

Otti, in his acceptance speech, said  he would not go on a revenge mission when sworn in as Governor of Abia State because he had no bitterness against anyone.

Otti told people of the state that the journey towards taking back their state from years of bad governance had begun.

He said, “This is just the beginning of the journey. I know that there’s a lot of work to be done and we must get all hands on deck to ensure that we take back our state and bring the much sort after dividends of democracy.

“You voted us to serve you and not to be served. You voted us to alleviate your sufferings and not to compound and multiply them. This is a service that comes with unusually high sense of devotion and commitment,” he said.

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Delta Election CP Commends Residents, Stakeholders on Successful Elections

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1 day ago

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March 22, 2023

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The Election Commissioner of Police CP Umar M. Sanda, has on behalf of Delta State Police wishes commended the residents of Delta State for their peaceful conduct during the just concluded gubernatorial and house of assembly elections held on March 18, 2023.

Sanda gave his commendation in a statement signned by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Edafe Bright, saying thre success of the election was largely due to the peaceful conduct of residents and also the wonderful collaboration between the Police and other sister security agencies.

The Command has received a lot of accolades from Organisations and public spirited individuals for working assiduously with Sister Security Agencies to effectively police the State and provided top-notch security, before, during and after the 2023 general elections.

The CP therefore charge all residents to ‘unite because we can only achieve economic development in an atmosphere of peace’.

The Command also expressed its appreciation to sister agencies for robust synergy, political leaders for keeping to their promise of a peace accord signed at the State headquarters, assuring them that the Command is always available to render any security assistance when required.

He also extended his appreciation to the Delta State Resident Electorial Commissioner, Rev Monday Tom for his cooperation during the election, all election observers, all election monitoring teams, and the media and called for continuous cooperation with the Police in future endeavours.

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