Author: Editor
Our Reporter, Abuja The Anambra State Civil Society Network (ASCONET) has condemned the recent local government elections conducted in Rivers State, faulting the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for failing to deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). Coordinator of ASCONET, Prince Chris Azor, in a statement, described the omission as a gross violation of the Electoral Act, 2022, warning that it undermines democracy and threatens the integrity of grassroots governance in Nigeria. Citing Section 150 of the Act, Azor stressed that procedures adopted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in conducting Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections…
By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu At that point of no return, an innocuous looking legal challenge will materialize questioning GEJ’s eligibility to run under the constitution. They will sue him, his party, and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and will ask the courts to restrain INEC from recognizing him as a candidate in the election. The suit will slow walk its way to a decision. Then, suddenly, around the week before the vote, judgment will come down restraining the party from presenting GEJ as a candidate and restraining the INEC from having him on the ballot. Any serious threat to the incumbent’s…
Ben Ezechime, Enugu The Enugu State Police Command says it has arrested three armed robbery suspects who had been terrorising residents in parts of the state. Police spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement issued in Enugu, attributing the arrests to the command’s ongoing clampdown on criminal activities. According to him, the suspects include 28-year-old Okafor Chukwuka, who was apprehended at Nara, Agbani Division, Nkanu West Local Government Area, for snatching a motorcycle at gunpoint. He added that Emeka Odo, 45, and Ugochukwu Eze, 35, were arrested at Obollo-Afor, Udenu Local Government Area, for allegedly robbing a motorcyclist. Ndukwe…
By Nnamdi Elekwachi Abia State is a party to the Open Government Partnership (OGP) initiative which, among other things, aims to achieve fiscal transparency, especially in the public finance sector of subnational governments. OGP states operate open budget whose processes, from planning to execution, are open to public scrutiny with reports on budget performance released quarterly to help groups and individuals track or monitor budget implementation. This encourages a citizen-centred budget and helps to identify implementation gaps. Because Abia participates in the open government partnership (OGP) initiative, automatically, the state is eligible for the World Bank-backed State Fiscal Transparency Accountability…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Barely 24 hours after denying that the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) signed any binding agreement, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has finally admitted that there was actually a signed deal between the duo in 2009. This was contained in a statement issued Friday by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Boriowo Folasade. The Minister, in the statement, clarified that “the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement remains the only valid and binding document to date.” Recall that the Minister, while addressing reporters in Abuja after a meeting…
…Begs S’East to give APC at least 50% votes in 2027 Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Former Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, VON, and a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has said it was unfair for anyone to refer to the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, as an Igbo candidate. The APC chieftain and strong ally of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, who said this while responding to questions during the August edition of Ikengaonline monthly town hall meeting on Thursday night, noted that Obi’s supporters were not only Igbo but cut…
Our Reporter, Abuja The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has petitioned the Police Service Commission (PSC), demanding disciplinary and criminal action against some police officers accused of unlawful arrest, prolonged detention, extortion, and fabricating terrorism charges against one Mr. Eme Alfred Friday. In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, on Friday, RULAAC described the case as a “brazen abuse of power and criminalization of innocent citizens,” urging the PSC to ensure accountability and justice. According to the group, Mr. Friday was arrested without a warrant on June 26, 2025, by officers led by Supol…
Our Reporter, Abuja Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has called for urgent and far-reaching electoral and judicial reforms to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy and return political power to the people. In a statement posted on his X handle on Thursday, Atiku commended the enthusiasm of Nigerians participating in the ongoing continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise, describing it as proof of the people’s commitment to shaping their future through the ballot. However, the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate cautioned that voter registration alone would not guarantee credible polls without structural reforms to restore electoral integrity and strengthen judicial independence. “At…
Our Reporter, Abuja Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State on Thursday unveiled the revived Nigergas Company Limited, marking the return of one of Eastern Nigeria’s historic industrial giants after more than 30 years of dormancy. The Governor, in a statement shared on his official X handle, said the plant has already created over 100 direct jobs for skilled and semi-skilled workers, while an estimated 5,000 indirect jobs are expected across distribution, fabrication, transportation, and other sectors in the supply chain. “What we revived today is not merely steel and pipes, but the restoration of purpose, dignity, and productivity to a…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Some Igbo organizations, including the American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), Rising Sun Charities Organization, and Ambassadors for Self-Determination, have written to former U.S. President Donald Trump, seeking sanctions against a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and five Nigerian jurists over their alleged roles in the arrest and prolonged detention of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Those named in the petition include Justice Binta Murtala Nyako, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, Justice Hamma Akawa Barka, Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba, and former Chief Justice of…