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15 Ogonis Were Killed During Guber Election In Rivers -NYCOP

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2 years ago

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PORT HARCOURT —The National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) has declared that 15 Ogonis were killed during the just-concluded Governorship and House of Assembly election in Rivers State.

NYCOP President, Barinuazor Emmanuel, disclosed this yesterday during a protest march to the state office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Port Harcourt.

Emmanuel, who stated that the 15 deaths were unreported, also declared that the March 25, 2023 election as a rape on Nigeria’s democracy.

He further stated that results announced by INEC that emanated from the elections would not be accepted because the results were not the will of the people.

The NYCOP leader said: “We are here today, as peaceful people. With what happened to us on the 18th of March, 2023, was a rape on our democracy. INEC and some political parties denied us our will to vote.

“We voted in some places, but our votes did not count. Where we did not vote, they (INEC and some political parties), also manufactured votes for them.

“Our grandmothers, traders, youths, we suffered to register for Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC). We suffered to also collect our PVC. We paid transport from our respective homes to go to our polling units to vote. At the end, what we saw was death.

“Over 15 youths died in this election (governorship and House of Assembly elections). But, media did not report the casualties.

“We saw how political thugs connived with INEC and hijacked voting materials, denying us our votes. Yet, we saw votes that were declared for some people.

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“We are here today, to tell the world that we, Rivers youths, reject any result that was announced here given to some politicians. We want to say that such results were not our will. We are also here today, to tell INEC that they are a shame to our democracy.

“1999, we were part of the process that fought for this democracy, MOSOP and NADECO. Our hope was that, by this time, we would be mature in our doings.

“In 2015, they behaved the same way; 2019, they still behaved the same way. But, this time, they also did the worst to us. We are telling INEC that whatever votes they allocated to some individuals are not our votes.”

Emmanuel called on the Economic and Finance Crime Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Security (DSS) to investigate the report of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in the hands of some politicians in the state.

He said: “Secondly, we observed that since three days ago, if you go to our local government areas, they are busy uploading results on BVAS. Where are they getting those results from? Who gave them (politicians) those BVAS?

“We are calling on EFCC, DSS; we won’t mention police because they connived with them to rape our democracy, to investigate those uploading results and arrest them.

Addressing the protesters, Head, Voter Education and Publicity Department, INEC, Rivers State, Mr. Mark Osulor, urged the protesters to sheathe their swords, assuring them that their complaints would be channelled to the appropriate authority.

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Osulor said: “I have heard your protest and I am going to relate as you have just said, to the management of INEC. Meanwhile, I will also implore you to have your material evidences from the polling units prepared to toe the right steps, where you can make this quest for correction of what happened, if there is any.

“And the law has provided that it is the tribunal that has the utmost power to entertain such election petition. So, I will send this protest letter to the management of INEC and as well tell them exactly what you have just said as your request.Also, please, sheathe your swords.”

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Politics

Obasa Presides Over Lagos Assembly With 4 Members

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16 hours ago

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February 28, 2025

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Rt Hon Mudashiru Obasa has launched a comeback into the Lagos State House of Assembly and presided over as a speaker with four members in attendance.

Obasa was impeached while on a trip to the US, but there have been controversies and insinuations about his coming back, which manifested yesterday, Thursday.

However, other Lagos State House of Assembly members have rejected Mudashiru Obasa’s claim that he remains the speaker.

This development coincided with the recent withdrawal of Meranda’s security aides, but the police said they had restored Meranda’s security details last night.

Speaking with journalists at the assembly complex, the lawmakers reaffirmed their support for Meranda’s leadership.

Stephen Ogundipe, a member representing Oshodi-Isolo constituency 1, who spoke on behalf of the lawmakers, called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos to intervene in the leadership crisis.

“Our leaders approached us with the idea that we should remain calm and take things easy. But we are surprised to see what is happening here today,” he said.

“We won’t take laws into our hands, just as we told the staff not to do so. However, we all belong to different constituencies and have our mandate. Whatever happens, the leadership should speak with us and not this charade we are seeing.

“We are not happy; we have been law-abiding. We have not gone out of our way against the state.

“We also want to be respected, to be given our dignity. To be shown that we are elected. I’m appealing to the leadership of our party that we cannot continue this way.”

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PDP elders caution against unguarded utterances on political happenings in Benue

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1 day ago

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February 27, 2025

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Elders of the Benue chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have cautioned against unguarded utterances on the ongoing political happenings in the state.

The elders spoke on Thursday through the Chairman of G14, Dr Laha Dzever, and G9 Chief Elisha Amali during a press conference in Makurdi.

The PDP elders caution was a reaction to the APC elders press conference wherein they supported the removal of the Chief Judge and castigated all those against it.

The PDP elders urged other elders in the state to be statesmanly in their outings, especially on state issues.

Dzever said they found it disturbing that esteemed elders would choose to criticise the unassailable position of the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Aba Moro, whose statements were firmly rooted in the rule of law.

“The primary concern of elders is to embrace, support and promote peace, which is necessary for societal stability currently desired in our dear state, Benue. It is unelderly to do otherwise.

“We therefore advise that those in positions of authority should act with decorum and responsibility to promote genuine development, progress and prosperity for the entire people of Benue.

“Democracy thrives on the rule of law, not on the whims and caprices of any arm of government,” he said.

Dzever said that they were concerned about the actions of the Benue State House of Assembly and therefore advised them to return to status quo.

He said many of the suspended members of the assembly were PDP members and should be allowed to diligently discharge their duties.

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“The judiciary, as a separate arm of government and a cornerstone of democracy, must not be diluted with politics.

“We advise the Benue State House of Assembly to act judiciously and responsibly, always ensuring that decisions concerning judicial officers are made with integrity and fairness but above all to be rooted in the rule of law and due process,” he said.

Dzever, who acknowledged the significance of good governance, urged the people to understand that blind allegiance does not amount to tangible improvements in the lives of the people.

“Our major challenge in Benue State now is insecurity.

“The APC government in the state and at the federal level should therefore concentrate largely on securing the state immediately.

“We equally emphasise the need for transparency and accountability in governance,”he added. (NAN)

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Lagos Assembly crisis: Speaker Meranda’s security aides withdrawn

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1 day ago

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February 27, 2025

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All security aides attached to Speaker Mojisola Meranda of the Lagos State House of Assembly have been withdrawn.

ELANZANEWS can report that as of Thursday morning, security details attached to the speaker including police officers have been withdrawn.

ELANZANEWS cannot immediately verify who authorised the withdrawal but a source close to the Speaker confirmed that Meranda was now vulnerable.

All the Speaker’s security aides have been withdrawn. All the security aides attached to the House of Assembly have also been withdrawn,” the source said, lamenting that the “the speaker is now vulnerable.”

ELANZANEWS reports that the development comes amid information that Meranda may resign from the position as Speaker.

The move follows intervention of the heavyweights of the All Progressives Congress including Chief Bisi Akande and Aremo Olusegun Osoba, who are former governors of Osun and Ogun states respectively.

The meditating panel led by the duo met last Sunday with key stakeholders at the House including members of the Governance Advisory Council at the Governor’s Lodge in Marina.

The panel, according to GAC members at the meeting, are recommending the resignation of Mudashiru Obasa and that Meranda should also step down for a new lawmaker from Lagos West to take the mantle of the House leadership.

Another source in the Obasa camp also said all aides attached to Obasa have now been restored.

“They have been restored all Obasa’s security aides as of this morning,” the source said.

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