Headlines
Kogi SDP Chair Manhandled, Gov Candidate Barred as INEC, Stakeholders’ Meeting Turns Violent
The meeting called by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lokoja, Kogi State, to sensitise stakeholders on preparation for the November 16 governorship election, turned violent as suspected political thugs invaded the meeting causing serious uproar.
According to a witness, the problem started when the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Natasha Akpoti, who was earlier prevented by security agents from gaining access to the venue of the meeting, insisted on attending the meeting.
Efforts by her security details to persuade her to leave the venue for peace to reign proved abortive.
The SDP chairman in the state, Mouktar Atimah, who wanted to intervene, was beaten to a pulp in the full glare of security operatives.
At the meeting was Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu; INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu; and the Director-General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim.
The witness added the police released tear gas to disperse the surging crowd.
Meanwhile, the Police Service Commission (PSC) had said that it would deploy 45 of its personnel to monitor police conduct in the November 16 elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.
Head, Press and Public Relations of the commission, Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja.
Ani stated that 20 of the personnel would be deployed to Bayelsa and 25 to Kogi to ensure that officers complied with the force’s rules of engagement.
He said cases of police misconduct that would arise from the exercise would be investigated, and any police officer found guilty would be punished accordingly.
Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) Africa has urged INEC to design a plan for flooded areas to avoid disenfranchisement of eligible voters in the Kogi and Bayelsa elections.
The Executive Director, YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, made this known in the organisation’s third Kogi and Bayelsa pre-election reports in Abuja.
Itodo said YIAGA Africa sent out ‘Watching The Vote (WTV)’ observers to Kogi and Bayelsa to monitor the pre-election environment and to look at key issues facing the states and INEC, among others.
He disclosed that some things observed were indicators of violence, violation of electoral codes, thuggery, selling and buying of voter cards, flooded areas, usage of weapons and so on.
Kogi State government has declared Friday, November 15, as public holiday for all schools in the state.
A statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Eric Aina, directed all public and private schools to have a break on November 15.
According to Aina, the break was to ensure that all students and pupils are united with their families during the election, and that schools would resume academic activities on Monday, November 18.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (OYC) has called on Ndigbo in Bayelsa and Kogi to use their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) wisely by voting against candidates who will likely not protect their interests.
In a statement in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, yesterday, the national president of OYC, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said that body had observed that most government policies and procedures outside Igboland had continued to make the Igbo face critical challenges and untold hardship.
He noted that aside the host community, the Igbo were the most populous in any state, adding that their input during election matter.
The Guardian
FIFA on Thursday unveiled its list of match officials for the June 11-July 19 World Cup, including 52 referees, six of whom are women.
Football’s governing body will also take 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials, who hail from all six confederations and 50 member associations.
“The selected match officials are the very best in the world,” said Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s chief refereeing officer.
“They were part of a wider pool of officials that was identified and monitored over the past three years. They have attended seminars and officiated at FIFA tournaments.
There are 41 more match officials than at Qatar four years ago, where 32 teams played 64 matches.
“The fact that six women match officials have been selected continues a trend that was started four years ago in Qatar as we aim to further develop women’s refereeing,” Collina said, with six women having already refereed in 2022.
AFP
Iran, on Wednesday, shut the Strait of Hormuz following fresh Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, raising fears that a fragile ceasefire with the United States could collapse less than a day after it was reached.
The closure comes amid renewed hostilities that have cast doubt over efforts to halt more than a month of fighting. While both Iran and the United States had earlier declared victory after brokering the truce, fresh missile and drone attacks were reported across Iran and parts of the Gulf, alongside intensified Israeli bombardments in Lebanon.
In Beirut, Israeli strikes hit residential and commercial areas without prior warning, leaving at least multiple people dead and many others injured in what has been described as one of the deadliest days of the conflict.
Iranian state media confirmed the closure, with IRNA reporting that the move was taken “in the wake of Israel’s attacks on Lebanon.” The development has heightened concerns over the stability of the ceasefire agreement mediated by the United States.
Authorities in Iran also imposed strict controls on maritime movement in the strategic waterway. Ships near the strait were instructed to seek permission from Sepah, a special operations unit under the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, before passage. A radio message cited by The Wall Street Journal warned that any vessel attempting to cross without approval “will be destroyed.”
Earlier in the day, Iran had indicated a willingness to reopen the strait during the proposed two-week ceasefire, noting this would be done with “coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.” U.S. officials, meanwhile, said American forces could assist in managing ship traffic, although details remain unclear.
U.S. President Donald Trump also told ABC News he was open to a “joint venture” arrangement with Iran that would involve charging tolls for vessels passing through the strait.
However, reports of ceasefire breaches soon emerged. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who played a role in negotiating the agreement, said on X that violations had already been recorded, further deepening uncertainty over whether the truce will hold.
The Presidency has come up with reasons behind President Bola Tinubu’s absent at the commissioning of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s projects in Lagos, on Wednesday.
Tinubu was noticeably absent at the scheduled project commissioning in Lagos, sparking public curiosity.
However, Sunday Dare, his Special Adviser on Public Communications and Orientation, has clarified the reason behind the last-minute development.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Dare revealed that the President had to prioritise urgent national security matters over the event.
According to him, although Tinubu is currently in Lagos, he has been deeply engaged in high-level State duties, particularly ongoing security briefings tied to recent developments across the country.
“The president has been busy taking constant briefs and has to prioritise when it comes to state matters, especially security,” Dare stated.
He referenced rising security concerns, including recent unrest linked to incidents in Jos, noting that the President has been closely monitoring the situation and working directly with intelligence agencies.
Dare emphasised that Tinubu remains fully engaged behind the scenes, actively coordinating with security operatives and receiving continuous updates to address emerging threats.
The absence, he stressed, should not be seen as neglect of official duties but rather a reflection of the President’s focus on safeguarding national stability at a critical time.
Tinubu skipped the Lagos commissioning not out of disregard, but to handle pressing security issues demanding immediate presidential attention.
