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Group Endorses Rhodes-Vivour for Governor
Prominent indigenes of Lagos State under the auspices of Eko Forum have endorsed the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, for next Saturday’s election.
This is coming just as the forum urged all Lagos indigenes and residents to vote the Labour Party candidate whom it described as “a proper son of the soil.”
The Forum made its position known in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Chairman, Alhaji Ismaila Williams, and General Secretary, Olawale Ogundimu, in Lagos.
It said the decision to back Rhodes-Vivour was taken at the end of its extraordinary meeting held on Sunday.
“Members of the Eko Forum from all the 20 local governments as well as all the 37 local council development areas met on Sunday here in Lagos.
“Members took the decision to support our Rhodes-Vivour after carefully appraising the credentials of all other candidates that have put themselves forward to be elected,” the statement partly read.
The Forum said the Labour Party governorship hopeful scored high in the various indices that were used for the appraisal of the various candidates.
The indices used, according to the statement, included educational attainment, youthfulness, pedigree, and ability to relate with issues affecting the state.
It called on Lagosians to discard the rumours making the rounds that a Rhodes-Vivour-led government would undermine the interest of the Yoruba people.
The Forum stated, “On behalf of the members of our Forum, we want to disabuse the minds of unsuspecting residents that the Igbo ethnic nationality will take over Lagos if Rhodes-Vivour wins.
“The Igbo have been living with us in Lagos from time immemorial peacefully, we have intermarried and done a lot of things together for a long time. They never dragged the ownership of our land with us since and why will they do that now?
“This is cheap propaganda which our people should not fall for.”
The Punch
The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), in collaboration with the Body of Banks’ CEOs, hosted an engagement with the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, in Lagos.
The meeting, according to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Ag. ACP Benjamin Hundeyin, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), reinforced the shared commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s financial system as a critical pillar of national stability and economic growth.
In his remarks, the IGP underscored the strong nexus between financial security and national security, noting that the resilience of banking operations is central to investor confidence and Nigeria’s global credibility. He highlighted the evolving threat environment, emphasizing that beyond traditional risks such as armed attacks, the sector now faces increasingly sophisticated challenges, including cyber-enabled fraud, identity compromise, insider facilitation, and illicit financial flows.
To address these risks, the Nigeria Police Force continues to advance an intelligence-led approach to protecting financial infrastructure. The IGP referenced recent operations that dismantled violent crime networks, disrupted kidnapping syndicates, and recovered illegal arms, thereby strengthening the enabling environment for business continuity. He further noted his recent engagements with the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Abuja and the Nigeria Exchange Group (NGX), both aimed at enhancing financial system integrity and investor protection.
In line with the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, the Force is enhancing the recruitment, training, and deployment of Supernumerary Police Officers (Spy Police) to meet the specialized security needs of banks and other critical financial institutions.
In conclusion, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D, NPM, reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to working closely with the banking sector as a strategic partner in safeguarding the stability, integrity, and international reputation of Nigeria’s financial architecture.
Passengers aboard an Arik Air flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt experienced moments of anxiety on Wednesday morning after the aircraft developed an engine issue mid-air, forcing an emergency diversion to Benin City.
Following established safety procedures, the pilots immediately diverted the flight to the nearest airport as a precaution. The aircraft landed safely at Benin Airport without further complications.
Arik Air said all 80 passengers and crew members onboard disembarked safely, with no injuries recorded. The airline added that arrangements had been made to convey affected passengers to their intended destination in Port Harcourt.
“The safety and wellbeing of passengers is always our priority at Arik Air. We sincerely apologise to the affected Port Harcourt passengers whose journey has been disrupted,” the statement read.
The Senate may release records of how lawmakers voted on the controversial electronic transmission of election results, Senator Abdul Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central, has said.
Ningi spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, ahead of the emergency plenary session scheduled for Tuesday, convened amid mounting public criticism over the Senate’s handling of the Electoral Act amendment.
Asked whether Nigerians could be allowed to see which senators supported or opposed real-time electronic transmission of results, Ningi said such disclosure was possible under the Senate’s rules.
“I think it’s possible. It depends on the presiding officer because the law provides that,” he said.
Explaining how the process could be made transparent, the lawmaker added: “You can stand up and say, ‘I, Ningi, I accept e-transmission in real time.’ I sit down. It’s recorded every other senator, and that is the only way we need to move forward.”
Ningi said the controversy surrounding the amendment was partly due to gaps in the official record of what transpired during deliberations.
“One thing that is very important is that the votes and proceedings have not been captured. So tomorrow (today), we need to look at what the votes and proceedings captured are. Is it a transfer?” he said.
He further questioned how the amendment to the electronic transmission clause was handled on the floor of the chamber.
“There was a motion for amendment by Manguno, and then the question was put. Who asked the question? Why was the question raised?” Ningi asked.
According to him, the matter required clearer deliberation before any decision was taken.
