By Olisemeka Obeche & Francis Ekpone

The vice-presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission of deliberate mass disenfranchisement of voters in the South Eastern states through enforced card reader usage.

Obi made the accusation despite a landslide victory recorded by the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar, against President Muhammadu Buhari in Anambra state and in most states of the region.

The former Anambra state governor argued that the malfunctioning of the card readers deployed by INEC and its non-availability in most voting points in the zone, was a deliberate act by the electoral umpire to disenfranchise most voters from the zone, especially those in Anambra stateof whom two million voters registered.

According to an official result released by the Anambra state collation officer, Prof. Francis Ogbonnaya Otunta, PDP garnered 524,738 votes while APC polled 33,298 votes in the total of 562,336 votes cast. In Abia, PDP polled 219, 698 votes as against APC’s 85,058. PDP secured 355, 553 votes in Enugu while APC managed to secure 54,423. Similarly, PDP swept Ebonyi polls with 258,573 as against APC’s 90.726. In Imo, PDP ran out victory with 334,923 while APC secured 140,463 votes.

Obi told newsmen at his Onitsha residence on Tuesday that INEC insisted on the use of the card reader in Anambra and other states across the South east zone but allowed manual accreditation in other [especially northern] zones which the commission claimed to have registered massive votes for the ruling APC.

“After I had voted on Saturday at my polling unit, the card reader was very slow to recognise anything and with that process, many voters were not allowed to vote and what that meant was that in several voting points in Anambra state, the card reader was not functioning and, where it functioned, it was very slow and we were told that the process would end at a particular time which they eventually did.

“I recalled that people sending text messages to me that they could not vote and I forwarded it to various authorities. There was also a case of non-functioning of card readers especially in highly concentrated areas like Awada, Obosi Urban, Igboukwu and other places and the consequences was that, in Anambra where we have over 2.4 million registered voters, only about 562,000 voters were able to vote.

“While we were told it was compulsory for us to use card reader to vote, I learnt that, in some parts of Nigeria, people were voting without card readers. Even those who voted here without card readers were not counted. Over 80 pulling units where card readers were not used were removed from the system and that means that they were disenfranchised.

“The result has been released, PDP scored 487,550 votes and APC 31,452 votes which are a reflection of what happened in the entire South East. Using Anambra to form my judgment of the whole process, I could see where a state registered 1.5 million voters and nearly a million voted and where we have 2.4 million, we couldn’t achieve up to 700 votes and the reason is obvious because we were given a different set of conditions and others given another set of conditions which shouldn’t be.

“People came out to vote but they couldn’t vote because they were given stringent conditions. I am happy that Dr Chris Ngige, the APC agent in the presidential election also faulted the process because he also raised a concern that many were disenfranchised. There is no reason not to allow people to vote and that is why the result from the South east was so low. We have, in the south east, about 10 million registered voters but cumulatively, only about 20 per cent of that number voted while, in other parts of the country, as much as about 50 percent voted” he lamented.

Meanwhile, the minister of labour and employment and a top player of the All Progressives Congress, Chris Ngige, has threatened to sue the INEC over the defeat of Muhammadu Buhari in Anambra state in last Saturday’s presidential election.

Ngige queried the landslide victory recorded by the People’s Democratic Party candidate, Atiku Abubakar, against his principal, Buhari in Anambra. Atiku polled 487,550 votes to defeat Buhari who recorded 31,452 votes in the state.

The labour minister was particularly not pleased with the results INEC declared in the Idemili area of state. According to Ngige, the final results declared by the electoral body did not tally with the results collated in polling units and wards in the areas. He insisted that, if the results were not withdrawn, he would challenge the declaration in court, stressing that the results declared by INEC was a total breach of the Electoral Act.

“I’m going to challenge these results in court if INEC does not handle this complaint well by ordering a fresh poll in the areas,” he said.

According to the APC agent, card readers failed to work in the area during the elections. “I am calling for the outright cancellation of the presidential election in the Idemili North and Idemili South local government areas or I will take the matter up in court,” he said.

The minister of education, Malam Adamu Adamu, last Thursday, said the present administration had spent about N727bn in developing infrastructure in tertiary institutions over the course of four years.

The minister, who recounted the ministry’s achievements and promised more access and improved quality education, disclosed that much of this funding goes into the provision of hostel accommodation, classrooms, lecture theatres and laboratories.

Adamu, at a news conference in Abuja, said access to quality education was a major challenge over the years, and assured that government must continue to provide unfettered access to quality education within limited resources.

“When this administration came into power in 2015, we came up with a blueprint for the sector known as ‘Education for Change’.

“To give effect to our blueprint, we developed a master plan, otherwise called the Ministerial Strategic Plan (MSP).

“In terms of quality, we have done no less, ensuring effective supervision of tertiary institutions, high level manpower training and provision of quality library services, among others,” he said.

On access, Adamu said the federal government during the period under review, licensed 30 universities, bringing the total number of universities in Nigeria to 169.

“These comprise 43 federal universities, 47 state universities and 79 private universities, with the combined carrying capacity of about two million spaces as against the 1.5 million carrying capacity we inherited in 2015.

He said that in 2015, “the total number of polytechnics/monotechnics/innovative enterprise institutions in the county stood at 298 with a combined carrying capacity of 424,715 spaces and that to expand access to “polytechnic/monotechnics/innovative enterprise institutions, we established or licensed 71 such institutions during the period under review, with a carrying capacity of 93,228 spaces.

“Access to such institutions has therefore increased from 424,715 in 2014, to 517,943 in 2019”, he said.

The minister also said that the number of colleges of education had increased from 147 it met in 2015, to 174, increasing carrying capacity from 385,240 to 445,440 spaces.

On the award of scholarship, Adamu said the present administration had spent about N15 billion worth of scholarship awards to students.

He also said that registration for post-UTME was reduced from N15,000 to N2,000, UTME from N5,000 to N3,000, NECO from N11,500 to N9,850 and the Basic Education Certificate handled by NECO from N5,500 to N4,000.

The minister said that investments in library and library services were being intensified in order to keep pace with digital learning and qualitative education.

Former Speaker, Kaduna state house of assembly, Ahmed Hassan-Jumare, who contested under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for House of Representatives seat has lost to a first timer, Muktar Shehu-Ladan of All Progressive Congress (APC).

Hassan-Jumare was Speaker of the state Assembly from 2013 to 2015. Declaring the results in Makarfi, headquarters of Makarfi local government area of Kaduna state, the Returning Officer, Prof. Tijjani Abubakar, declared that the APC got 59,495 votes while PDP scored 35,126 votes.

Abubakar said the total registered votes stood at 104,026,
while 51,555 votes were recorded. “I, Prof Tijjani Abubakar, the Returning Officer, Makarfi/Kudan Federal Constituency, the candidate of APC, Muktar Shehu Ladan having scored highest number of votes and satisfied the requirement of the law is declared winner,” Abubakar declared. Other results announced by the returning officer indicated that at the Senatorial election, APC got 61,847 votes and PDP had 32,183 votes, while in the Presidential election APC polled 67,181 votes against the PDP’s 26,191 votes.

By Olisemeka Obeche & O’star Eze

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has declared that any attempt to kill any Igbo man in any part of the country would meet strong reprisals.

IPOB’s media and publicity secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful delivered the warning while condemning the alleged threatening, intimidation of Igbo people in Lagos and Kano states during Saturday’s presidential and national assembly elections. IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi

Kanu, who is currently based in the United Kingdom had earlier tweeted via his twitter handle @MaziNnamdiKanu, that he was not surprised that Igbo’s were being targeted by political thugs, insisting that it was a strong indication that Biafra republic was the ultimate solution to the Igbo man’s travails.
“Are we surprised that #Biafrans are once again the target of genocide in Rivers, Lagos and Kano? Do you know Igbo’s were prevented from voting in some areas of Lagos and Kano? Do you know Nigerian government turned our Rivers state into a war zone? #Biafra is the only solution.”

The group described the alleged political violence in Igbo strong holds as unacceptable and evidence that people of the region are not needed in Nigeria.

“We the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its leadership condemn in its entirety certain utterances and anti-Igbo sentiment emanating from certain quarters in Yoruba west and Fulani controlled north.

“The brazen attempt to threaten, intimidate and stop Igbo Biafrans from voting for their candidate of choice is unacceptable to any right-thinking person and is confirmation, if any is needed,
that Biafrans of whatever persuasion, is not wanted in Nigeria.

“This is a state of affairs we are not prepared to tolerate. Those hatching devilish plans to attack Biafrans and their business interest in other parts of Nigeria must understand the grave consequences their actions portend,” he said.

Continuing, Powerful said that “Biafrans will not allow a repeat of 1966 when Igbo families were massacred in their hundreds of thousands across Nigeria. Those behind this latest plot must not underestimate our preparedness.” “It is unbelievable that some Yoruba leaders and their Fulani
counterpart would summon the courage to ask Igbo/Biafran people not to vote for the candidate of their choice because they are not indigenes. Some went as far as saying Igbo’s should go back to Igbo land if they want to vote for any person other than APC candidate.

“Our people living in Northern and Western parts of Nigeria must be prepared and never entertain any fear particularly those in Lagos and Kano states because any attempt to commence another round of ethnic cleansing of Igbo’s in the north or west, will be reciprocated in the east.

Peace Obi

Pockets of violence have been reported from the various polling units during the 2019 general election that held across the federation. Reports from different states like Lagos, Rivers, Delta, Abia, Ondo, Kogi, Bayelsa, among others indicated that irregularities and violence characterised the process.

Widespread violence was recorded in places like Amukoko, Surulere, Ago-Okota, Ago Palace Way.  In Amukoko area of Ajjeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area, the process was disrupted as political thugs moved freely from one pulling unit to another, intimidating, attacking voters and electoral officers.

The thugs who stormed the polling units in a tricycle, motorcycle and a bus were seen threatening that nobody was allowed to vote any other party than APC. In places where they suspected the votes were tilting in favour of other parties, they attacked voters, smashed ballot boxes and scattered the contents into the gutter and on the streets. The thugs who attacked voters with sticks, metals and any other weapon they could lay their hands on left a woman with a supposedly fractured hand in Tejumola Street, as she was badly hit on the shoulder with their weapon.

Still in Lagos, at Ohafia Street, Ago-Palace Way of Isolo Local Government Area, thugs were reported to have attacked voters and set thumb-printed ballot papers ablaze. According to an eye witness account, they went to other pulling units in the area to harass voters and smash ballot boxes. A video posted on Twitter showed people running away from a polling unit as live rounds were being fired.

Another report from the Ajao Estate read, “it was an ugly scene, I was about doing my accreditation when the shooting started with cutlass and woods. I had to run for my life. All these happened in Ajao Estate, Isolo, Lagos in the polling unit around Chivita Avenue.”

In Delta, three people were reportedly killed by bullets from armed thugs at a polling unit in Amukpe area of Sapele town. The voters were reportedly shot while on the queue waiting to cast their votes.

A similar report was also received from Kogi State where a young voter reportedly lost his life in Anyigba Dekina Local Government Area of the state when an argument ensued over whom he would vote for.

Bayelsa State was not left out as two persons were reportedly killed in Member area of the state after violence erupted in the area.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission has hinted that election will be rescheduled in areas where the process was marred by violence and other forms of irregularities.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kebbi state has urged politicians to be wary of social media posts after voting prior to the official declaration of result by the commission.

The resident electoral commissioner (REC) in the state, Alhaji Ahmad Mahmud, gave the advice during an interactive session with stakeholders in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.

“Fake news is now a trend and can mar our efforts to ensure free, fair and credible elections.

“We urge you to be wary of social media posted results before official declaration.

“Only INEC returning officers at wards, local governments and state levels have the statutory authority and power to declare the results,” he said.

He said that 1,938,171 permanent voter cards (PVCs) were received from INEC headquarters out of which 1,860,239 were distributed, leaving 77,932 PVCs unclaimed.

“We have all the sensitive materials at CBN custody, so we have no fear for the materials now.

“I collected the remaining sensitive materials that we had been awaiting for and by Wed, Feb. 20, we are going to start distributing them to remote areas and by Friday 22.

“We hope to finish the distribution in all the 21 local government areas of the state.”

According to him, the state has 225 wards, 1,345 voting points and 2,398 polling units in the 21 local government areas.

“We still maintain our arrangement as we had earlier told before the postponement that, we are going to use 520 vehicles in the transportation of ad hoc staff and election materials.

“This is part of our arrangement with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Federal Road Service Corps (FRSC) as well as security agencies on transportation.”

He assured that INEC was determined to ensure free, transparent and fair elections but urged the people to continue to pray for successful conduct of the exercise.

The REC said that special arrangements had also been made to take care of physically challenged persons to enable them exercise their franchise without hitches.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the stakeholders at the interactive session were security agencies, representatives of political parties, traditional and religious leaders as well as various NGOs and CSOs.

By Sunday Agbo, Abakaliki

The leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Youth Council Worldwide has warned Igbo youths to resist the temptation to involve themselves in ballot box snatching and vote buying.

Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, president general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, in a press statement in Abakaliki, called on the youths of the zone not to toe the path of some Igbo elders who he said have sold their conscience.

According to him, Ndigbo youths should troop out en masse and vote the presidential candidate as directed by Igbo political leaders.

“We must remind our Igbo youths that some Igbo elders have sold their conscience to the devil and their directives to Igbo youths are declared null and void, as they only represent their selfish interest.

“They are after what they will gain personally against the collective interest of Igbo youths who wallow in abject poverty because of high rate of unemployment.

“We will align with the position of southeast governors who are the political leaders of Ndigbo to decide Igbo voting pattern in the presidential election holding on Saturday 23rd 2019. We will make it crystal clear that no other Igbo leadership have the moral right to direct Ndigbo.

“Igbo youths will do the needful on Saturday. We call on Igbo youths not to engage in any form of electoral malpractice or snatching of ballot boxes. We are aware of the ongoing vote buying and efforts by gang of elders to send gullible youths to their early grave. We will resist any form of election violence.

“Igbo youths should go out and vote according to their conscience on Saturday 23rd February presidential election without fear or favour but vote Igbo interest”, he stated.

A 62-year-old man, Bayode Samuel, on Thursday asked an Ado-Ekiti customary court to dissolve his 30-year-old marriage to his wife, Bosede, over her waywardness among others.

Samuel is seeking the dissolution of the marriage on the ground of waywardness, lack of contentment, lack of respect, unfaithfulness, adamant to correction and quarrel by his wife. Samuel, a resident of No. 23, AUD Primary School Road in Odo-Ado, Ado-Ekiti, told the court that his wife was always fomenting troubles with him.

He said that she was fond of disobeying him and was not giving him rest of mind.

He told the court that the union was blessed with three children: one female, aged 29 and a set of male twins; aged 25. He said that his marital problems started some years ago when his wife started making their home awful to stay.

“I am always afraid to talk to Bosede because I feel like I no longer have authority over her as a husband. There was a time, when someone informed me that my wife was with another man in a hotel, the person told me that he saw her (Bosede) coming out of the hotel. My wife has a concubine in Aramoko Ekiti because one day, I traced her to the man’s house and I confronted her so that she will not deny it,’’ Samuel said.

The petitioner claimed that he thought that his wife would change “but all is to no avail.

“There was a time my wife told me that she was travelling to Lagos but I denied her of going, while we were at it, my wife’s phone rang. When I picked the call, it was a male voice that I heard and the man said: “I have been waiting for you and have booked a room in a hotel in Lagos. I told the man that I am her husband although she later called the man back to warn him not to call her again,’’ Samuel said.

The petitioner, a retiree from the public service, said that when he was in service, he bought two cars and gave one to his wife, adding that she was never contented.

He said that he was responsible for his own cooking, washing of his clothes and cleaning the house.

The petitioner, therefore, appealed to the court to separate him from his wife, saying: “Ì want to live in peace.’’

The president of the court, Mrs Olayinka Akomolede, said since the respondent had repeatedly shunned the court’s proceedings, the court had deemed it fit to have admitted the allegations leveled against her as being the truth.

She therefore adjourned the case until March 28 for judgment.

Nigerian fuel suppliers have cut the price of petrol to encourage people to travel to vote in presidential elections this Saturday after the poll was delayed by a week, the information minister said on Wednesday.

The electoral commission announced the delay early last Saturday just Nigeria’s 84 million registered voters were preparing to head to the polls. The election is now scheduled to take place this Saturday.

Both of the main parties have expressed concern that this would result in a reduced voter turnout, in part because people who were registered to vote in a different part of the country to where they live would be unable to afford to travel after a wasted trip last Saturday.

Information Minister Lai Mohammed said the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) had cut the price of petrol at the pumps to 140 naira per litre from 145 naira. The discount will apply from Friday to Monday.

Mohammed also told reporters the National Union of Road Transport Workers, which has about 2 million members who operate bus routes nationwide, had agreed to provide discounts to travellers “looking to travel to their respective voting points”.

Two airlines had also offered discounts to people who showed their voting cards.

President Muhammadu Buhari faces a tight contest against businessman and former vice president Atiku Abubakar, the main opposition candidate, to lead a country that has Africa’s largest economy and is its top oil producer but is plagued by corruption and a wide gap between rich and poor.

The election has been fought over Buhari’s handling of the economy amid fragile growth and growing unemployment as Nigeria recovers from a recession in 2016. Rising insecurity, notably in regions under attack by Boko Haram and other Islamist militants, is also a big worry.

Reuters

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the distribution of sensitive materials for the conduct of Feb. 23 presidential and national assembly elections.
Dr Nkwachukwu Orji, INEC Resident Electoral Officer in Anambra, who supervised the exercise, said it was a repeat of what was done on Thursday, Feb. 14.
Orji said that the commission had received replacement for all card readers damaged by the fire which burnt INEC office storage facility on Feb. 12.
”On Tuesday, Feb. 12, fire incident affected INEC storage facility where smart card readers for 17 Local Government Areas were packed.
“Shortly after the fire was put out, we activated emergency recovery for card readers across the country and it was a successful exercise in that that evening, we started getting replacement for the card readers.
”By the next day being Feb. 13, we received card readers from 12 states and by Thursday of that week, we have completed configuration of all the card readers,’’ he said.
Orji said one implication of the fire incident was that INEC’s target of having more than 6,000 card readers would no longer be achieved.
”Our target was that of the 5,720 polling units, we will have extra two card readers for each ward, but with the fire incident we cannot meet that target.
”What we presently have is a total of 5,173 card readers which can cover a total of 4,608 polling units across the state with extra 264 card readers left,’’ he said.
He told party representatives, security personnel and media representatives at the Central Bank of Nigeria, Awka Office, that sensitive materials for the Feb. 23 exercise were complete.
He noted that logistics for conveying the materials to the 21 local government areas, including security guards, had been arranged.
Orji said INEC was ready to oblige any party willing to cross-check the materials and gave an assurance that the materials were intact.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that INEC Electoral Officer for Anambra East was the first to take delivery of the sensitive materials from CBN, Awka, at about 11.43 a.m., accompanied by security personnel. (NAN)

By Uzoh Ugwueze - Enugu

A Federal High Court sitting in Enugu, presided over by Justice Ibrahim Buba has sacked Prince Lawrence Eze as the Enugu East Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

This is following the court's decision that Eze was not the validly nominated candidate of the party.

In the suit filed by Mrs. Adaku Ogbu-Aguocha, she had contended that having won the party's primary election, she was the right candidate of the party but that her name was wrongfully substituted.

Ogbu-Aguocha said Mrs. Uche Ezemba, having stepped down after winning the primary,  the lot fell on her as the 2nd runner up in the election.

She adduced evidences before the court that Eze was not even a member of the party at the time the primary elections were conducted.

Justice Buba in his judgement, agreed with the plaintiff and held that it was a case of 'monkey dey work, baboon dey chop.'

The court lambasted the plaintiff, Eze,  for laying claim to what never belonged to him.



This is as justice Buba said there was overwhelming evidence that Eze was still a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, where he also contested for senatorial primary election.

He, therefore, ordered that Mrs. Adaku Ogbu-Aguocha should be recognized by the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as the rightful candidate for the Saturday election.

In a reaction, Ogbu described it as a "judgement against impunity in the system."

She added that "the judgment showed that there was justice in Nigeria.I can't thank the judiciary enough for writers the wrong done to me and so many people in this country.

"The judgment has affirmed what I always believed, which is that I'm the rightful candidate. Justice has been served today and I am very happy, I'm grateful to God.

"I enjoin everybody in Enugu East APC to work together for our victory in the general election on Saturday. I have been campaigning all these while because I know I'm the rightful candidate, if not for the impunity in the system."

"His candidacy is null and void, it never existed and that's what the court held today."

Meanwhile, counsel to the defendant, Barr. Ferdinand Ugochukwu Ukwueze, told journalists that his client would appeal the judgment.

Cyril Aririguzo

The national secretary of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) an umbrella body of polytechnics in Nigeria, comrade Anderson Ezeibe has stated that ASUP has not called off the national wide strike they embarked upon.

Speaking to journalists in Owerri Imo state capital recently, comrade Ezeibe opined that ASUP will continue the strike until the federal government meet up with their demands.

Comrade Ezeibe, a staff of Federal Polytechnic, Nekede-Owerri, revealed that ASUP embarked on strike to press on the federal government to pay backlog of unpaid staff salaries in most of the polytechnic across the nation.

Comrade Ezeibe posited that there was total infrastructural decay in most of the polytechnics in Nigeria coupled with lack of equipments and conducive learning environment.

According to him, ASUP will continue to embark on strike until the federal government is able to address all the grey areas mentioned above.

Comrade Ezeibe went further to pour encomiums on graduates of polytechnics whom he said has continued to prove that mettle, regardless of poor infrastructural and poor environment. He used his press chat with journalists to call on the federal government to Endeavour to pay listening ear to ASUP, so as to help move this country to the next level.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kebbi state has urged politicians to be wary of social media posts after voting prior to the official declaration of result by the commission.

The resident electoral commissioner (REC) in the state, Alhaji Ahmad Mahmud, gave the advice during an interactive session with stakeholders in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.

“Fake news is now a trend and can mar our efforts to ensure free, fair and credible elections.

“We urge you to be wary of social media posted results before official declaration.

“Only INEC returning officers at wards, local governments and state levels have the statutory authority and power to declare the results,” he said.

He said that 1,938,171 permanent voter cards (PVCs) were received from INEC headquarters out of which 1,860,239 were distributed, leaving 77,932 PVCs unclaimed.

“We have all the sensitive materials at CBN custody, so we have no fear for the materials now.

“I collected the remaining sensitive materials that we had been awaiting for and by Wed, Feb. 20, we are going to start distributing them to remote areas and by Friday 22.

“We hope to finish the distribution in all the 21 local government areas of the state.”

According to him, the state has 225 wards, 1,345 voting points and 2,398 polling units in the 21 local government areas.

“We still maintain our arrangement as we had earlier told before the postponement that, we are going to use 520 vehicles in the transportation of ad hoc staff and election materials.

“This is part of our arrangement with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Federal Road Service Corps (FRSC) as well as security agencies on transportation.”

He assured that INEC was determined to ensure free, transparent and fair elections but urged the people to continue to pray for successful conduct of the exercise.

The REC said that special arrangements had also been made to take care of physically challenged persons to enable them exercise their franchise without hitches.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the stakeholders at the interactive session were security agencies, representatives of political parties, traditional and religious leaders as well as various NGOs and CSOs. (NAN)

By Elizabeth Uwandu

Contrary to the news making round of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) slashing pump price from N145 to N140 to cushion the effect of the postponement of February 16 elections, Engr. Sanusi Fari IPMAN president said the body never gave such directive.

In a statement made available to Orient Energy Review Magazine, Engr. Fari who called on marketers not to hoard petroleum products, but sell at federal government approved price of N145.

IPMAN president however noted that individual marketers could sale below the stated price.

The statement reads, "The National President of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria , IPMAN Alhaji (Engr.) Sanusi Fari has called on members to continue to render their services to the public in view of the one week postponement of the general elections and not to sell petrol (PMS) above the federal government's approved pump price of N145.

“Members who wish to sell at any price below N145 are free to do so because the government policy that makes the product available encourages price competition.

“However, no member should hoard petroleum products at this time because of the election postponement.” he affirmed

In a related development, Mr Kunle Bamigboye, Acting Zonal Chairman , IPMAN Western Zone equally debunked the claims of Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo of the government plan to reduce fuel price.

He said, “Western Zone of IPMAN members are advised to ignore the purported directive in some today's dailies by one Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo asking member filling stations across the country to revert from N145 per liter of PMS official pump price to N140 per litre. For the avoidance of doubt, PPMC ex-depot price to us has not been reduced by a dime as at the time of this press release.

“Similarly other related cost associated to getting fuels to our various stations also remained unchanged.

“We are therefore at loss as to what informed such unguided and  reckless pronouncement aimed at putting independent petroleum marketers association on a collision cause with the buying public and various government agencies. We therefore disclaim the author of the statement and dissociate IPMAN Western Zone members from the strange pronouncement.” Mr Bamigboye stated.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has instructed all the power Distribution Companies (DisCos) in the country to complete the listing of their customers by March 31, 2019.

Electricity consumers were also urged to cooperate with the DisCos within the 42 day period left of the exercise.

NERC had in a statement said: “This is very important and it is in the interest of consumers as it would improve metering and help DisCos to respond to electricity issues quickly.”

The Commission said completion of the listing would help easy metering of existing and new customers, improve the accuracy of billing, advance the quality of supply and quicker fault response time.

NERC also said that once the enumeration is completed, the DisCos would be able to determine the unique Customer Identification Number (CIN) for every electricity customer in Nigeria.

“The CIN will become a critical factor for identifying genuine customers in transactions with the DisCos,” the statement read.

By O’starEze

The Supreme Court has upheld the ownership claim of the people of Umuagama village (Ukwulu) and Oranto/Akpu village (Ukpo) in Anambra state to a disputed parcel of land that had pitched them against their neighbours in Okpuloji Abba Town.

In upholding the respondents’ claim, the apex court dismissed the appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal, Enugu which had earlier made similar findings.

A five-man panel of the court, headed by Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, resolved all the four issues, identified for determination, in favour of the two sets of respondents – listed as representatives of Umuagama village (Ukwulu) and Oranto/Akpu village (Ukpo).

Court documents revealed that the people of Okpuloji Abba Town, Umugama Village Ukwulu and Oranto/Akpu Village (Ukpo) have been locked in dispute over the parcel of land in the area since early 1970.They went before the High Court of Anambra in 1975 in a suit marked: AA/53/75 and a subsequent one filed in 1977, marked: AA/11/77.

Both suits were later consolidated, and in a judgment by then Chief Judge of the court, Justice Obiora Nwazota, delivered on November 12, 1999, the court declared the title of the disputed land in favour of the people of Umuagama Village (Ukwulu) and Oranto/Akpu Village (Ukpo).

Okpuloji Abba Town, through its representatives – Uyaemenam Nwora, Eric Uzoma, Emesi Okeke, Gabriel Okoye and NwudeIgweonuwu – appealed the decision at the Court of Appeal, Enugu.

The Court of Appeal, Enugu, in its final decision on June 27, 2016 dismissed the substantive appeal on the grounds that the appellants failed to compile and transmit record of appeal within the stipulated period, as provided in Order 8 Rule 4 of the Court of Appeal Rules 2011.

The court also dismissed the appellants’ motion, in which they had sought to direct the Chief Judge of the High Court of Anambra state to re-assign the consolidated suit for hearing afresh, on the grounds that the court’s Chief Registrar had declared the record of proceedings missing.

Uyaemenam Nwora, Eric Uzoma, Emesi Okeke, Gabriel Okoye and NwudeIgweonuwu, acting for Okpuloji Abba Town, subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court, in SC: 589/2016.

The appeal had Nweke Nwabueze, Phillip Okoro and Reuben Ifeka, representing Umugama Village Ukwulu (as the first set of respondents) and Nwoye Ofoedu, EkemekaOmogu, Ichie Titus Okeke and EuguneOtunabo, representing Oranto/Akpu Village, Ukpo (as the second set of respondents).

Justice Paul AdamuGalinje, who read the lead judgment of the Supreme Court’s decision on February 15, 2019, held that the appellants failed to sustain their allegation of denial of fair hearing and miscarriage of justice.

Justice Galinje said it was the fault of the appellants that they failed to ensure the compilation and transmission of record of appeal within time, as required under order 8 rule 4 of the Court of Appeal Rules 2011.

In upholding the Court of Appeal’s dismissal of the appellants’ motion, Justice Galinje held that the appellants were wrong to have filed their motion, for retrial, at the Court of Appeal.

He said the motion ought to be filed at the trial court, since the appellants’ appeal was not yet properly before the Court of Appeal, and because they were yet to compile and transmit the record of appeal then.

Justice Galinje however advised parties to the dispute to return to the trial court to have the case re-heard because it might be difficult to enforce a judgment, which record is said to be missing from the trial court.

The judge added: “In the instant case there is in place what I may call “force major,” an unexpected occurrence, which has the capacity to defeat even the enforcement of the judgment obtained at the trial court in the two consolidated suits.

“It follows therefore that, if nothing is done, there will be a total failure of justice. The loss of the record of the appeal is a factor that has in my view vitiated and rendered the judgment invalid.

“Is there a way of enforcing the judgment in the absence of the record of the case? This is what may unfold later. I think it is in the best interest of the parties to go back to the trial court and sort out this mess,” the judge said.

Justice Galumje rejected the appellants’ contention that they ought not to be penalised for not compiling and transmitting record when the trial court’s Chief Registrar had said the record of proceedings was missing.

The judge said that the appellants were not diligent in their handling of the appeal at the Court of Appeal, Enugu.

He stated: “In this matter, the appeal was filed on the 18th November, 1999. The appellants applied for and obtained a stay of execution of the judgment that had adjudged them trespassers on a piece of land, upon which title was declared in favour of the two sets of respondents.

“Thereafter, the appellants stayed away from the trial court and refused to take steps to fulfil the condition of the appeal for four years until on the 31st of October, 2003 when they deposited the sum of N10,000 on the prompting of the respondents who wrote and complained to the Chief Registrar about the appellants’ failure to take steps to prosecute the appeal.”

By O’starEze

The Catholic bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship Most Reverend Paulinus Ezeokafor, has enjoined Nigerians to trust INEC for a credible election despite the postponement.

Reacting to the recent election postponement by one week at the Retreat and Pastoral center, Nodu, Okpuno, in Awka South local government area of Anambra state recently, Bishop Ezeokafor observed that while the development must have incurred financial loss for the electorate, they should still keep faith with the electoral umpire, and cast their vote come next weekend.

“The development came to me as a shock and I regret that the situation has caused a lot of financial loss to many Nigerians especially those who travelled from far and near to be part of the process.

“However, in the face of the challenges, Nigerians should not place personal gains above the interest of the nation. They should endeavour to come back next weekend to vote for leaders who have interest of the masses at heart,” he said.

The prelate said that it was better to have a delay and get it right than hurrying through the process and getting it wrong.

While urging Nigerians to see it as a duty that must be fulfilled for the betterment of the citizens, Bishop Ezeokafor cautioned against vote buying and selling which he said is a mortal sin, adding that nothing is worth mortgaging one’s conscience.

He charged INEC to prove their worth by organising an election that would be devoid of rancour and free, fair and credible, noting that Nigerians and international organisations are looking up to them to get it right this time around.

He also disclosed that through his directive, Awka Catholic Diocese has been on special prayers since February 8 for the general elections to be successful, which prayers would continue till the end for the results to be achieved.

The bishop advised against violence which he said has never helped any situation, and that everyone should be predetermined on who to vote for so as not to be deceived at the last minute.

Nigeria’s upcoming general elections have slowed down activities in the country’s maritime industry, as key government parastatals and agencies in the sector are headed by politicians.

A group, known as Masters Mariners Association, MMA, who disclosed this in a statement, lamented that the maritime sector had been in a stand-still in recent times, due to the primary elections, political campaign and rallies by the various political parties.

President of Masters Mariners Association, Captain Tajudeen Aloa, lamented the loss in maritime industry due to this development, saying such was not good for the sector, where key positions were occupied by politicians.

Aloa called on the Federal Government to established a national shipping company and appoint experienced people, who understand the shipping business, into strategic positions to manage it.

According to him, “Politicians will come and go, but government needs to pick from among the practitioners, especially those who have put in 30 to 50 years in shipping business.

“At this period, the political parties are having political campaigns and rallies in preparation for elections. Nothing has been achieved. There is no leadership, their concentration is on being relevant politically.”

Aloa also said that the Master Mariners Association under his leadership was strategising and making plans to sanitise the industry and rid it of quacks masquerading as captains and mariners.

He also advised that removal of waivers for oil companies should be carried out in phases, saying this should be so since the country does not own new ships and is not ready to invest in acquisition of new ships.

By Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

The authorities of the Delta state independent national electoral commission (INEC) on Thursday threatened that politicians, and their surrogates who convert their houses, and farms to illegal polling units and deprive others access to exercise their franchise during their general elections will be handed over to police for prosecution.

Dr. Omoregbe also allayed the fears making rounds in the state that politicians had perfected plans to take possession of uncollected voters' cards to commit fraud in the coming election.

Omoregbe who made this known at a media conference in Asaba, said that some trouble makers would want to frustrate the commission, but vowed to arrest such people and hand them over to security agents while the commissioner would make necessary arrangements to prosecute them in line with the constitution of Nigeria.

He disclosed that 95% of people who registered in Delta state were yet to collect their PVCs, adding that the commission will do everything possible for peaceful elections in the state.

On the possibility of having free and fair election in some local government areas in the state that are flash points, Dr. Omoregbe assured that there was no cause for alarm in such LGAs as Ughelli North, Warri and Ndokwa East, adding that security arrangements were put in place to ensure free and fair elections.

“Arrangements have been put in place to protect lives by Navy, the police civil defense corps, and other security agencies” adding with the new security arrangements, materials at the riverine areas with gun boats would be protected go and come.

Dr. Omoregbe however disclosed that in the last one week, there had been verbal and physical threats aimed at intimidating political opponents, particularly with respect to the two major political parties, PDP and APC saying that the governorship candidates of PDP and APC in the state have been very civil but their supporters have been fanning the embers for trouble, leading to one person allegedly killed in Uvwie local government area and others kidnapped and assured that there will be peace in the elections.   

By O’Star Eze, Okechukwu Onuegbu, Uzor Ugwueze, Yolamchi Ukaga, Joe Akwarandu, Sunday Agbo and Ajunwa Victor.

There are strong indications that millions of eligible voters may end up not exercising their franchise during the 2019 presidential, national and state assembly elections across the South East and other parts of the country due to various reasons.

Prominent among the reasons for the disfranchisement ranges from the burning of the smartcard reader machines, IPOB threat, communal crises and boundary disputes in some parts of Anambra, INEC failure to issue permanent voter cards to many registered voters, especially in the south east to fears of malfunctioned smartcard readers deployed in the zone.

However, the tense atmosphere observed in various zones in Nigeria since November 18, 2018 when political parties kicked off their 2019 campaign in line with the directive of the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may seem to have been doused following the ending of presidential and national assembly campaigns.

Presidential and national election campaigns come to an end yesterday with attention being focused on the election proper.

Following this, Orient Weekend, here, x-rays the preparedness of the INEC, security agencies and political parties in the country with emphasis on the south east geo political zone.

In most of the states, INEC sensitive and non-sensitive materials have arrived while police have beefed up security in the states.

Anambra

In Anambra state, for example, majority of voters are ready to go to the poll while INEC says it is also ready to conduct a credible election despite challenges resulting from the razing of the configured smartcard reader machines on Tuesday.

INEC said the recent hiccup caused by destruction of 4,689 smart card readers meant for 17 out of the 21 local government areas by a mysterious fire would not deter the commission from doing its job. It said that replacements have been sent from neighbouring states.

Resident electoral commissioner, Mr Nkwachukwu Orji, said that it had engaged 586 permanent staff spread all over the 21 local governments in the state, and 25,712 ad hoc personnel made up of returning and collation officers who are university lecturers, supervisory presiding officers drawn from 33 federal government agencies in Anambra state and presiding officers comprising members of the National Youth Service Corps who will serve at the various polling units.

Orji also stated that 149 local and 49 foreign organisations had registered 88,000 election observers in the state adding that 11 security agencies would be operating in the state to maintain peace and order in the course of the elections.

Speaking on the voting strength of the state, Orji said that in all, Anambra state registered 2,447,996 voters. He, however, stated that 1,910,000 of these voters were yet to collect their voter’s card and that the INEC had sent the cards to the Central Bank, Awka branch.

On the issue of using recording devices, the REC said that no electronic device would be allowed inside the voting cubicle but that people were free to record election proceedings in the various polling units. He said the reason for restricting recording devices in the voting cubicle was to check vote buying and selling.

“We discovered that voters resorted to taking snapshots of the party they voted while in the voting cubicle which they use to claim money from the party agents. We decided to check this practice by banning use of smart phones or any other recording device,” he said.

On the IPOB threat, security agencies said enough surveillance would be mounted across 4,608 polling units in the state and urged people who have no business at those poling units to stay clear of them.

Our reporters observed that security presence in the state was waxing stronger by the day, especially in Awka the state capital. As at yesterday, there was influx of police, military, and paramilitary officers in the state.



Chief of army staff, Nigerian Army (NA), Lieutenant-General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, had announced that the military had launched Elections Monitoring and Security Situation Room with the view to safeguarding and strengthening Nigeria's democracy.



He said that army was a stakeholder in safeguarding Nigeria's democracy and required real-time security situational awareness regarding the electoral processes nationwide to be well positioned to adequately respond, should the need arise.



He enjoined members of the public to fully utilise the opportunity by forwarding timely credible information of security value via SMS, MMS or WhatsApp message to their dedicated public cellphone numbers: 07017222225, 09060005290, 08099900131 and 08077444303, and to utilise the NA Information Call Centre short code 193 from any network provider. 



According to him, digital cameras had been effectively mounted nationwide to monitor identified flash points to forestall any breach of peace, even as additional cameras were stationed strategically in all the states to monitor the elections and provide unfettered opportunity to civil populace to send reports of security interest in their localities including any case of wrong doing or unprofessional conduct on the part of troops deployed to secure and safeguard the electoral process.



In the same vein, the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, who is also the supervising officer South East for 2019 general elections (DIG) Anthony Ogbizi Michael who visited Anambra state command to assess level of preparedness by the command towards ensuring a peaceful and hitch free election.



The visit which was a directive from the Inspector General-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, enabled the DIG, the Anambra state commissioner of police, CP Mustapha Dandaura and other senior police officers at the command headquarters to brainstorm on strategies emplaced to protect both INEC officials, facilities and the electorates in the State. 



Governor Willie Obiano, on his part, said that they had made a comprehensive arrangement with all security agencies in the state and some other organisations like the Anambra State Fire Service to protect all relevant offices, voting centres, voting materials, electoral officials and voters.



He, however, directed the police to ensure that unauthorised persons, including IPOB members do not move about on the election day with their vehicles in violation of the restriction order on movement of vehicles, and advised the public to report immediately any attempt to compromise the integrity of the electoral process or cause a breach of the public peace via a phone number, 0703 919 4332.



Abia

So many eligible voters who registered to vote in the 2019 general elections in Aba, Orient Weekend gathered, incidentally may not vote due to their inability to collect their PVCs before the closing date.

Orient Weekend checks in Osisioma Ngwa, Aba North and Aba South local government areas of Abia state, observed that so many registered eligible voters could not find their cards, even after several visits to the various INEC offices.

Aloma Agomuo, of Ward 8, Umuagbai, in Osisioma Ngwa, who was in INEC Secretariat, Monday, to collect his PVC, was disappointed because INEC officials could not find his PVC. According to him, “I’ve been to INEC office in Osisioma severally, to collect my PVS, but on each visit, they told me my PVC was not there. I want to vote becuase it is my right as a citizen” he lamented.

For Nkechi Agwuncha, “This is my sixth time of coming here. I registered at Umuocham Girls, in Osioma Ngwa local government area since March 2018.  I have been here so many times and they keep telling me that they couldn’t locate my PVC. I am willing to vote for my choice candidate, but from what is happening, I may not vote, like so many other eligible voters”,

Abia state resident electoral commissioner, Dr. Joseph Iloh, declined comment on the matter but declared that the commission is ready to conduct the 2019 elections.

He said the commission had received non-sensitive materials, some sensitive materials and has trained ad-hoc staff in readiness for the polls, adding that further preparations were on course.

“We have two batches of consignment to receive from our headquarters - sensitive and non-sensitive materials. We have taken delivery of 184 generating sets and 5KVA generators that will help us to keep our activities on in all our registration areas, with or without public power supply, and we deployed them to the various local governments for onward delivery to the relevant registration areas in Abia state. We have also taken delivery of no sensitive materials

“There is a standing order that the local government electoral officers, as soon as they receive these consignments from the headquarters, they badge them for ease of delivery to the relevant registration areas. Also, we have taken delivery of some sensitive materials,” Iloh said.

Iloh said that card readers were now more efficient, adding that the commission had developed a software that had been forwarded to the phones of the trained ad-hoc staff to enable them practise what they have been taught.

The REC also assured that the burning down of the commission’s office at Umu-ikaa in Isiala Ngwa South local government area would not affect the conduct of the general elections in the state.

He explained that the Sunday, February 3, 2019 fire incident affected a portion of the office block, not the entire building, but damaged over 3,000 permanent voter cards (PVCs), which he assured, would be reprinted and issued to their owners before commencement of the polls.

Abia, in the run up to the polls, has been peaceful. Therefore, it is widely expected that the elections would be largely peaceful in the state. To this end, some of the front-line governorship candidates, last Monday, signed a peace accord in Umuahia. Those who participated in exercise were the state governor and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Dr Alex Otti, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Dame Blessing Nwagba, among others.

Enugu

‘INEC’s readiness in doubt’

A security expert and political analyst, Ben Ikechi, has expressed doubts over the readiness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organise credible and fair elections on Saturday.

In an interview with Orient Weekend, Ikechi attributed the recent security breaches of fire incidents in some parts of the country and questions over the Commission’s credibility and integrity as reasons for his submission.

He said that, for the election to be peaceful and successful, “the Commission should go beyond mere public speeches to doing what is expected of them during the polls.”

“INEC is the main body for this exercise and the peaceful conduct of this election rests primarily on their shoulders. So, it becomes very important that they put their house in place especially in the use of security personnel at the different polling units. The recent burning down of election materials and INEC offices is not good for this election.

And sadly, even now, we don’t know who is responsible for these unlawful actions and nobody has been arrested yet. INEC also has been battling with the issue of credibility and this might go a long way in the outcome of the elections,” he said.

Meanwhile, INEC has restated its stand of not postponing the elections despite the recent fire incidents which affected its materials and offices in Abia, Anambra and Plateau states.

“As for the election, we are good to go, although we had some challenges due the fire incidents but we have recovered all the smart card readers and, as we speak, we are moving all the sensitive materials needed for the elections in Anambra.

“We are not going to postpone elections in any part of the country on the grounds of these incidents,” said Festus Okoye, the National Commissioner in charge of Information, Publicity and Voter Education of the Commission.

Recall that political activities in the Enugu state revolves around the People’s Democratic Party, PDP and the All Progressives Congress, APC.

However, it is worthy of note that since the country’s return to democracy in 1999, Enugu has remained a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) state, with the party winning all positions in every election that has ever been conducted in the past.

Former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani, who held sway from 1999 to 2007 had built a political family called ‘Ebeano.’

Following the defection to the APC by some political leaders in the state, many had expected that the trend would change, but that may hardly be the case as the party has remained enmeshed in crisis.

So, while the APC campaign has centred mainly on the presidential election, the PDP team are selling all their candidates across board.

For the Enugu state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, he is confident of peaceful elections in the state.

He expressed the confidence when he received in audience the new assistant inspector general of police, in charge of Zone 9, AIG Wilson Inalegwu, and other senior officers of the zone at the Government House, Enugu.

The governor maintained that “Enugu state has been very peaceful and is indeed rated as one of the safest and most secure in the country today”.

He commended the police and other security agencies in the state for their exceptional efforts, cooperation and partnership they have continued to offer, which he said “are indeed responsible for this happy state of affairs in Enugu state”.

Gov. Ugwuanyi, therefore, reassured the new AIG of his administration’s “commitment to sustaining the wonderful relationship we have with the police and to continue providing necessary assistance and support to the force towards the successful discharge of its very important duties in the zone and Enugu State in particular”.

On their part, the police are not shaky in their promise of ensuring a hitch-free election. This is as the AIG assured that the processes of the upcoming elections will be peaceful, disclosing that he had extensive interaction with the management team of the Enugu State Command, "and we reminded ourselves of our core responsibilities to ensure that the processes are peaceful and that we are professionals in the conduct of our business during the elections".

Ebonyi

The threat of election boycott seems to be more intense in Anambra, Abia and Ebonyi states. Our correspondent reports that security has been beefed up in Ebonyi state to contain the IPOB in case of any attempt to disrupt the election as threatened.

Ebonyi state governor and Chairman Southeast Governors’ Forum, David Umahi, speaking on the election, said “On the election coming, I want to appeal to Ebonyians. We are not known by violence. Power belongs to God. The state has laws and everybody has to operate within the limits of the law of the state and that of the federal government.

“In fact, if we are able to give 1.2 million votes that will be my pride. Nigerians must come out and vote.

Imo

5 fake Army officers arrested

Ahead of tomorrow's presidential and the national assembly elections across the nation, political parties in Imo state and their governorship candidates have committed to play and abide by the rules and guidelines of the 2019 general elections.

The governorship candidates signed a Peace Accord organised by the State Police Command.

This is just as the police in the state have arrested five army officers suspected to be fake soldiers as they were allegedly escorting a politician in the state.

The Imo state commissioner of police, Dazuki Galadanchi, charged party officials, supporters and candidates of the various parties in the state to be civil, peaceful and as well as exhibit the spirit of sportsmanship during and after the elections adding that there will always be a winner in the whole process.

Also speaking at the event, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Hope Uzodinma, expressed confidence in the security agencies as well as INEC and promised to abide by the content of the Peace Accord.

The Imo state resident electoral commissioner, REC, Francis Ezeonu, in a remark that the commission would provide a level playing ground, “Election is not war. On our part we will provide a level playing ground for the all players. We will work hard to keep the integrity of the election.”

Meanwhile, on the arrest of the suspected fake Army officers whose names were not mentioned, at the parade ground, the Commander 34 Artillery Brigade, Obinze Owerri, Brigade General H. I. Bature, said: “You can see, they are wearing the same uniform. You will find it difficult to differentiate them from myself. They are not soldiers. Unfortunately, two of them were caught escorting a politician.

I want to sensitise our people that if you are in the habit of recruiting fake Army we will arrest you.”

Delta

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Delta state said it has perfected strategies to checkmate all manner of electoral malfeasance that might hinder the peaceful conduct of the 2019 general elections in the state.

The INEC resident electoral commissioner in the state Dr. Cyril Omorogbe disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting with security agencies and political parties in Asaba, the state capital.

He explained that any political party that seeks to intimate or threaten voters would be punished accordance to Section 131 (a-d) of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended. He appealed to traditional rulers in the state to help the commission in its resolve to have a peaceful election in the state.

In the same vein, the Newly Delta state commissioner of police, Mr. Adeleke Adeyinka reiterated the police commitments to complementing INEC determination to conducting credible and acceptable polls in the state.

By Gabriel Chy Alonta

Hundreds of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra state on Wednesday defected to the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Orient Weekend gathered that the defectors, drawn across the 21 local government, made up of former APGA chairmen and executives across the state, and they promised to deliver all PDP candidates in the upcoming elections.

Speaking during the defection exercise in Awka, Anambra state campaign director, PDP Presidential Campaign, Dr. Harry Oranezi, described the decision of the defectors as both timely and patriotic, noting that those who chose to play opposition were treading the wrong route.

The campaign director urged the new members of the party to immediately cue into the party’s ideology, stressing that it was only the PDP that is capable of liberating the country in her current woes. He enjoined them to ensure they deliver all the party’s aspirants in all the available positions in the state and at the presidential election, while assuring them of unalloyed support from the party.

Commending the defectors for taking the bold step in joining the party, Oranezi further advised them to make use of their index finger other than the thumb while casting their votes and to ensure they vote out other candidates who do not belong to the PDP.

He further lauded the efforts of senatorial candidate of party in Anambra Central, Sen. Uche Ekwunife, describing her as a fighter with unique ability capable of getting lots of her constituency.

While welcoming the defectors to the PDP, Sen. Ekwunife assured them of total support of the party, appealing they come out to vote out every APGA candidate in the state.

The senatorial candidate in Anambra central further promised to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of the constituency and the state in general, while also reiterating the Atiku/Obi candidacy as the best.

Earlier, the state chairman of PDP, Hon. Ndubuisi Nwobu, said the party would give the defectors warm welcome, while charging them to deliver all the PDP candidates in all the wards.

One of the defectors, Hon. Ebele Anoliefo, from Awka-Etiti, ward 2 in Idemili South local government area of the state, said APGA presidential candidate, Major General John Gbor, lack the capacity to represent the Igbo nation, calling on people to ensure they deliver all PDP candidates.


On the reason for his defection, he said, “APGA has failed us. The suffering of our people is increasingly worsening every day. We can no longer continue to pretend over it or follow the directives of the present administration in the state to vote their candidates”.

A former youth leader and women leader of APGA, in different interviews bemoaned the neglect of APGA in the state led by Governor Willie Obiano, stressing that they can no longer condone their negligence. They promised to switch allegiance to the PDP by voting massively for the party in the coming election for a better fortune.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC has indicated that Nigeria would need India's technical assistance in the repairs of the country's  refineries. 

The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr Maiktanti Baru disclosed this when he received the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, His Excellency, Abhay Thakur on a courtesy visit to his office, yesterday in Abuja.
In a statement released by the NNPC's Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, the GMD assured the High Commissioner of NNPC’s commitment to further strengthen the existing relations between both countries in the energy sector.
The GMD noted that with the refineries up for repairs, the corporation would need technical assistance from Indian companies.

Speaking earlier, the Indian High Commissioner, His Excellency, Thakur, commended Nigeria for its support to India in the area of energy security, stressing that Nigeria had been contributing significantly to India’s energy needs.

He said India was open to further strengthening its collaboration with Nigeria through regular dialogue and exchange of technical knowhow.

“Specifically, India is already sourcing almost 10% of its energy requirement from Nigeria and we look forward to further strengthening of this cooperation across various sources of energy, not only oil, but also in gas, solar energy and other renewable sources”, he said.

He commended the Hon. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, and the GMD on the successful hosting of the recently concluded Nigerian International Petroleum Summit (NIPS) while assuring of his country’s continued support.

By Joseph Kingston, Calabar

Few hours after the Federal High Court, sitting in Calabar, delivered its judgment sacking Sen John Owan Enoh as governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Cross River state, supporters of both John Owan Enoh and Usani Usani were involved in bloody clashes.

Reports say the two groups were embroiled in a bloody clash at the Ugep Central Square in Yakurr local government area of the state.

Our reporter gathered that Usani’s supporters had trooped to the square, awaiting the arrival of the Niger Delta Affairs minister, who, riding on the back of a contentious court ruling, wanted to address his supporters.

His supporters were said to have started taunting Enoh’s supporters for losing out and assuring them that Usani “is the man,” and not Owan Enoh as erroneously believed. “Pandemonium immediately broke out and people are running for cover. We cannot ascertain, for now, how many people are on the injury list. Usani is several metres away from the scene of the clash, heavily guarded by armed security personnel,” a source, who was monitoring the unfolding scenario in the area, said.

Recall that the court had, on Monday, in a two-hour judgement, delivered by Hon Justice Simon Amobeda, ordered that “INEC should only receive and accept the names and candidates for the 2019 elections that emerged from the lawful executive led by Godwin Etim John.”

The judgement further sacked the leadership of the party led by Mr. John Ochalla and ordered that persons parading themselves as the executive members of the APC in Cross River state should, forthwith, cease and that the lawful executive of APC in Cross River state is the one led by Godwin Etim John.

Whereas Usani Usani lends full weight behind the Etim John faction and emerged as their guber candidate, John Owan Enoh was said to have emerged under the John Ochala executive committee and duly recognised by the national working committee of the party.

Peace Obi 

Residents of Ibafo community in Ogun State are suddenly witnessing improved power supply in the area after their women threatened to bare their breast to the management of Ibadan Distribution Company in protest for the Disco's erratic power supply in the community, more painfully, the exorbitant "crazy" bill the Disco imposes on electricity users in area after it came out from many years of darkness.

Ibafo community, it was learnt practically lived about three years without electricity, as infrastructure broke down while a contractor that handled a major project in the area also delayed the job. 

However, on completion of the project, the IBEDC management in the area was said to have made a rotational arrangement of one night on, one afternoon off – and vice versa – with the people.

The residents stated that while the promise was kept for a few weeks, IBEDC Ibafo office soon reneged, with the suspicion that light was being diverted to some businesses and other powerful forces in the area.

Residents said some Chinese companies operating in the area were especially benefiting from the deal.

The people were particularly irked when IBEDC kept bombarding them with bills for power they never used even as they regularly disconnect their light for failure to pay up.

Not knowing what else to do after several appeals to IBEDC, the women both young and old in the community, stormed the office, chanting war songs.

They demanded supply at least as initially arranged, and threatened the manager that they would UnCloth and show him their breasts if he failed to rectify the situation.

It is believed that some taboo is associated with the kind of sight the women threatened to create.

It was gathered that IBEDC management pleaded with the protesters and promised to do the needful.

A resident who preferred to remain anonymous said, "since that day, we have been enjoying the one noon on and off as they promised."

He added, “We don't how the women did it. We don’t know when they planned it.”

Chibisi Ohakah

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, has said that the newly adopted Crude Oil Liquefied Natural Gas Tracker (COLT) has already yielded results with the recovery of about N1.2 trillion in royalty arrears from oil companies operating in Nigeria.

COLT enables the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to determine the status of every vessel loading crude and liquefied natural gas, and where it is heading to. The program can actually track those vessels to the point of destination and discharge. In that way, the DPR can track the royalties accruable to the Federal Government.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony of COLT and other initiatives in Lagos on Monday, Kachikwu said hitherto the country had grappled with the inability to ascertain the exact quantity of crude oil being produced as well as the leakages for decades. Commenting on crude oil theft, he said the tracking would also help to address the gap between production and actual physical stock.

“Today, apart from tracking the production, we are also able to track the movement of the crude – the vessels that come in and go out of the country. Following those sorts of initiatives, we have launched a series of IT-based platforms and interventions. I am happy that now the DPR can give up-to-the-minute figures. We are also applying technology to the issue of gas flaring,” the minister said

He explained that before now the process of determining royalties in the past was largely driven by the initiatives of oil companies, which determined what they produced, and the DPR will be left calculate royalties on the basis of that. With COLT, the DPR is able to see what actual production volumes are to determine royalties. “All our fields are largely tracked online now and what it means is that we can actually feed the nation on what was our actual production and from which fields and what is the volume and also identify if there are leakages,” the minister said

He said in addition to the introduction of COLT, under the new rules, no oil company will get renewal unless the company paid its outstanding royalties. However, companies who show seriousness in mapping out how they intend to settle their indebtedness will have their licences renewed but their final certificate will not be issued to them until they have liquidated the outstanding royalties. “Clearly, when we finish, we will at least have a situation where everybody who is operating is current in terms of their payments,” Kachikwu said

In his 2019 budget speech to the National Assembly last December, President Muhammadu Buhari complained that the volatility in oil prices, and disruptions in oil production delayed the plans to recover past due oil licence and royalty charges as well as the restructuring of the joint venture oil assets. The minister said he has therefore directed that action on all government revenue initiatives be expedited.

“I have already issued a number of Presidential directives on the disposal of recovered assets, deployment of the National Trade Window as well as the immediate recovery of past-due oil royalties including by crude seizures, if necessary, ensuring transparency in operations and speed. Previously, it took almost forever for people to get licences for simple things like licensing of filling stations, plants and all that.,” he said

The ministry has also launched the benchmarking system to track expenses and see how government can continue in the process to try and reduce the cost of producing oil in Nigeria, which is said to be a major challenge.

The Nigerian shipowners will need an additional N904 billion to the N36 billion accrued in the Cabotage Vessels Financing Fund (CVFF) to acquire vessels needed for the maritime industry in the next four years, a report has shown.

This was even as the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside said that the CVFF is not enough to finance the acquisition of maritime assets by indigenous shipowners.

According to Nigeria’s Maritime Industry Forecast 2019-2020, tagged: “Harnessing The Maritime And Shipping Sector For Sustainable Growth” launched in Lagos by NIMASA last week, Nigeria’s maritime sector has been estimated to spend about N939.5 billion ($2.588 billion) on vessels financing in the next four years

Dr. Peterside who was considering the fact that shipping is capital intensive said since the CVFF is not adequate to address the huge demand for maritime asset, NIMASA is looking at other Ship Financing Models to encourage the local operators.

“To enable Nigerians to play a major role in the maritime and shipping sector, two things are critical, the first is asset acquisition and the second is human capacity.

“It’s a known fact that shipping is capital intensive and that the CVFF which there is so much noise about isn’t adequate to address the huge demand for Maritime assets. Because of that NIMASA is working with other stakeholders and we are looking at other ships financing models.

He continued, “We have had series of engagement at the highest level with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Federal Ministry of Finance (FMOF) and we are pushing for special intervention funds at special interest rate not more than a single digit interest rate and other incentives that will drive optimal performance in the sector.

“We shall not relent in our drive to put the right framework together to help beneficiaries and investors have a good return on investment.”

The outlook showed that the top five vessels in projected demand between 2019 and 2023 would be tugboats, security patrol vessels, jargon barges, and crew boats, among others.

Breaking down the expected expenses, it noted that industry’s expenditure on category 1 vessels was would be $1.65 billion or 51 percent of total spend compared to $1.04 billion or 33 percent for Category 2 vessels and $519 million or 16 percent for Category 3 vessels, totaling $2.588 billion (about N939.5 billion).

However, the nation spent about N1.09 trillion on vessels in the last four years. Between 2014 and 2018, the industry expenditure of $2.21billion on category 1 of marine vessels accounting for 73 percent of total funds spent on marine vessels. Category 2 expenditure stood at $393 million or 13 percent, while $ 437 million or 14 percent was for category 3 vessels.

Though, the Director-General, NIMASA, Dakuku Peterside, said the maritime sector has the potential to contribute at least 10 percent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in no distant future, adding that Nigeria has the biggest market in Africa; and generates about 65 to 76 % of cargo throughput in West Africa, while 65 percent of all cargo heading for these regions will most likely end up in the Nigerian market.

It is also noteworthy that while growth in the global maritime sector is expected to slow over the next five years with crude oil projected to decline by 0.1%, containerized trade to decline by 0.4 % and seaborne trade by 0.2%, Total fleet increase was projected at slightly over 4% growth for both 2019 and 2020. The baseline forecast is based on the 2018 outcome and 2019 Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) forecast for total trade and foreign reserve.

The optimistic forecast is based on the assumption that total trade will increase to N28.55 trillion in 2019 and N30.11 trillion in 2020, while foreign reserves are $44.7 billion in 2019 and projected to be $61.7bn in 2020. NIMASA has an optimistic projection of a 0.67 % increase in 2019 and the same to be maintained in 2020.

While noting that the drivers of the macroeconomic outlook for 2019 include the general elections and its aftermath, prices of crude oil and policy imperatives such as fiscal, monetary and regulatory, Dr Dakuku disclosed that the maritime forecast model adopted by NIMASA projects an increase in demand for maritime services in Nigeria considering the global and domestic economic conditions.

On the regulatory aspect of the 2019 forecast, Dr. Dakuku stated that it is expected that the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime offenses Bill (Anti-Piracy) will be passed into law within the margin of the 8th National Assembly to provide a robust and detailed framework to criminalize and punish piracy and unlawful acts in the Nigerian maritime domain as well as give further expression to the relevant provisions of the International Maritime Convention on maritime security to which Nigeria is a party.

Accordingly, he said that all these will provide the necessary assurance to foreign investors that Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea to a large extent is a safe hub for International trade. Other Bills that would impact on the sector are National Transport Commission Bill, Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, National Inland Waterways Authority Amendment Bill, Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Amendment/Revised Bill and Ports and Harbour Bill.

The challenges highlighted for stakeholders in the Nigeria maritime sector to contend with in 2019 include funding, ethnological change, the supply of specialized maritime industry skillset, and efficiency of Ports and Shipping Companies amongst others.

Prices of Nigeria’s crude grades may crash further downwards this week due to persistent power failure at the export facility, sources close to the matter told SweetcrudeReports.

Power failure which began early last week is yet to be finally laid to rest, we learnt.
The country’s crude grades prices had fallen to their lowest in three weeks due to power failure at the export facility.

Reuters’ market report had said differentials fell on Friday for a second day due to a power failure at the Qua Iboe export facility which began early last week.

Prices of Qua Iboe BFO-QUA for March loading was offered at a premium of between $1.80 and $1.90 a barrel above dated Brent, down from around $1.95 the previous day and from around $2.15 at the start of this week.

The power outage caused a slowdown, as crude was loaded at around 25,000 barrels an hour, slower than normal rates around 30,000 barrels an hour.

As a result of excesses on ground, Bonny Light and Qua Iboe, which had been listed to be sold at higher than $2 a barrel above dated Brent throughout February, was said to have crashed- just one cargo of Qua Iboe was sold last week by Vitol.

The drop in export comes after last Tuesday’s report said Nigeria’s March oil cargoes were almost sold due to high demand by European refiners for the country’s oil. However, inside sources said the power challenge is yet to be totally fixed and could cause further slowdown this week.

By Elizabeth Uwandu

The outcry by Nigerians over outrageous estimated billing system by the Electricity Distribution Companies Discos may soon be over as members of the House of Representatives recently passed a bill that seeks to criminalise estimated billing in the country.

Bill estimation is a longstanding practice used by power providers when an actual meter reader is not available for billing purposes.

However, accusations are rife that the Discos have deliberately abandoned meter reading for the imposition of unimaginable (crazy) bills on users all for the purpose of wrecking in more revenue without rendering commensurate service.

Femi Gbajabiamila, sponsor of the bill and majority leader of the house, said, "It is not justifiable to continuously charge consumers for power not consumed."

The bill passed recently during members of the lower chamber’s deliberation on the report of its committee on power. The bill which was put on vote by Yusuf Lasun, deputy speaker of the house, would among other things criminalise estimated billing and make the installation of prepaid meters compulsory for all power consumers in Nigeria.

However, since the passage of the bill, some stakeholders such as Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Power, Works and Housing; the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED) have opposed the bill, noting that the bill would worsen the electricity situation in the country.

Fashola explained that the bill could crumble the electricity sector, noting that the financial challenges of metering must first be addressed.

He added that “I take it that we all know what the core mandate is. Their (DisCos) core mandate is to supply energy. My view is that let new players be licensed to have the supply of meters as their core mandate to take the load off the DisCos.

“Energy theft and meter bypass must be addressed too by prescribing heavy penalties against offenders.” Power Minister said.

Meanwhile, Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN officials are currently going round to take inventory of all existing Old Meters in view of the February 28th deadline from NERC.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission mandated that all DISCO's Electricity Distribution Companies should provide and install Electronic Prepaid Meter to all subscribers Free of any charge the said date or face severe sanctions.

Chairman, NERC lamented that Nigerians have suffered enough from being robbed by faceless corrupt officials via the inhuman estimated billing system where they pay for what they do not use.

" It is better to have the prepaid meter and not have light than to have light without a prepaid meter.

"The logic is simple, if you have the prepaid meter it means you will only pay for what you use. No estimated bills, no cutting of light, no stealing from you, no-nonsense and if they don't supply power FINE! they will not make any money from you." He noted.

According to NERC ...Our problem with PHCN in Nigeria is not power supply. Our problem is internal administration (The running of the company). The solution is proper administration.

"With prepaid meter, PHCN will sit up and begin to perform because they will know that if they don't supply power they will not make free money.

"They know this, that's why they continue to sabotage the whole thing so that they will continue with the robbery which is the estimated billing system, overcharging users and getting fat like the telecoms companies, who have to supply network or else no money for them if people do not use up their airtime and data.

"Nigerians must stop asking for power supply, that is not the solution. Insist on your prepaid meter, it is  your right and the solution to the  massive looting going on among the Electricity Distribution Companies." He pointed.

By Olisemeka Obeche

President Muhammadu Buhari says about N198. 6 billion ($550 million) has been
saved from identifying and expunging ghost workers from the federal
government’s payroll.

President Buhari in a special write-up entitled; “Corruption threats Nigeria and its
election’’ released in Abuja on Sunday, said more employees would be removed
from government payroll as part of ongoing efforts to sanitize the system.

Buhari, who is currently rounding off his presidential campaign tour of the
country ahead of Saturday’s epic presidential poll, also expressed optimism that
more money could be recovered through the whistle-blower policy as over 370
million dollars , about N134 billion had been returned since its launch in 2016.

“More ghost workers must be removed from government payroll (almost $550
million has been saved from identifying phantom employees),” he said.
“More can be recovered through our whistle-blower policy ($370 million has been
returned since its launch in 2016). More is still to come. But, together, we shall
prevail over corruption.”

The APC presidential candidate, enjoined Nigerians, particularly the electorate to
make a wise choice in the forthcoming presidential election by way of re-electing
the governing All Progressives Congress to sustain and improve on the ongoing
crusade on corruption. He reassured that due process would continue to be
followed in the fight against corruption even though his administration had
changed the way of tackling corruption in the country.

The president added: “A Yoruba proverb states that only the patient one can milk
a lion. Likewise, victory over corruption is difficult, but not impossible. We must
not flounder in our resolve. I know many Nigerians would like to see faster action.
So do I.
“But so too must we follow due process and exercise restraint, ensuring allegation
never takes the place of evidence. For that is not the Nigeria we should wish to
build. There is no doubt that this administration has changed the way we tackle
corruption.
“The choice before voters is this: Do we continue forward on this testing path
against corruption? Or do revert to the past, resigned to the falsehood that it is
just the-way-things-are-done? Or that it is just too difficult – too pervasive – to

fix? I know which one I would choose. It is why I am asking Nigerians for another
four years to serve them.’’

He also vowed that as Nigerian leader he would continue to judiciously exercise
the trust vested in him to combat the problems of corruption, insecurity and an
inequitable economy.

The president, however, stated that the fight against corruption would continue
to attract greater attention so as to ensure the success of all other socio-
economic programmes of the government.

“All are important. But amongst them, one stands above the others as both a
cause and aggravator of the rest. It is, of course, corruption. A policy programme
that does not have fighting corruption at its core is destined to fail.

“The battle against graft must be the base on which we secure the country, build
our economy, provide decent infrastructure and educate the next generation,’’ he
said.

Ngozi Egenuka

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has said that attempts to limit disclosure of information of public interest would weaken the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability.

This was in response to the letter by Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN, that the names of contractors that collected public funds meant for electricity projects could not be found in the Ministry records

Fashola said, “We have searched the Ministry’s record and the information you applied for is not held by the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing (Power Sector).”

The letter signed on Fashola’s behalf by Mrs Shoetan A. A, Director (Legal Services) read in part: “I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated 4th January 2019 in which you applied for request to disclose details of alleged corrupt contractors and companies that collected money for electricity projects but failed to execute any projects. The request has been handled under the FOI Act.”

Fashola's response followed SERAP’s suit number FHC/L/CS/105/19 filed last month at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The suit is seeking “an order for leave to apply for judicial review and an order of mandamus directing and/or compelling Fashola to provide specific details on the names and whereabouts of the contractors who collected public funds meant for electricity projects but disappeared with the money without executing any projects.”

SERAP in its last letter, dated February 8, 2019, and signed by its Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare said: “The public expectation is that government information when in the hands of any public institutions and agencies, should be available to the public, as prescribed by the FOI Act. The FOI Act should always be used as an authority for disclosing information rather than withholding it.”

The letter also said a case has been filed for the Ministry to release the information and urged them to go to any length to acquire the necessary information.

“Although, we have filed a case in court for remedial action and seeking an order to compel you and your Ministry to release the information requested, we urge you to take proactive steps to obtain the information from any other public institution or agency that may be holding the requested information, and to send to us the information without further delay. Your Ministry should not wait until the court makes it decision to compel you to disclose the requested information.

“Proactively releasing the information to SERAP and publishing it widely will strengthen the proper implementation of the FOI Act, promote accessibility and openness in government as well as show that the government will not shield the affected contractors and companies from accountability."

By Amaechi Okonkwo, Port Harcourt

Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike has claimed that since the All Progressives Congress APC took over government at the federal level in 2015 Nigeria has lost over 20 million jobs attributing it to the poor management of the economy by President Mohammadu Buhari.

The governor, therefore, urged the electorate in the country to vote the People’s Democratic Party PDP candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar who he said has the experience to create jobs.

Addressing thousands of supporters during the PDP campaign rally at Obio/Akpor Local Government Area over the weekend, Wike said that it is only under the PDP that sustained development can take place.

He said: “since this government came into power in 2015, we have lost not less than 20 million jobs. Instead of them to create jobs, we are losing more jobs. Trans Amadi used to be an industrial hub but since this government came to power most companies have collapsed”.

“PDP is not a party of excuses. It is a party founded on development. It is a party of performance. That is why Nigerians must return to the PDP“, he added

The governor urged the people of Rivers state to vote massively for Atiku Abubakar for the revival of the seaports killed by the non-performing APC federal government in the state.

“Atiku Abubakar through quality economic policies will revive the Trans-Amadi Industrial Estate and the two seaports in Rivers state.

“Atiku Abubakar will create jobs and ensure that the government works for the good of all Nigerians”, he said.

While acknowledging Obio/Akpor as the local government area with the highest number of registered voters in the state, Wike urged the people to cast 90percent of their votes for the PDP and her candidates. He advised PDP members to ensure that the party wins all the 359 polling units of the local government area saying that political patronage would be based on winning of polling units.

“You must deliver your polling unit. Victory of the polling unit is the ticket to political appointments. We don’t want to hear any excuse that your polling unit result was snatched. You must protect the results “, he said.

The governor advised the people not to be deceived by INEC claims that they will organise credible polls charging remain vigilant to protect their votes.

Wike said that the PDP remained sure of victory in Rivers state because his administration has satisfied the people.

Speaking further, he said that only those who have impacted positively on the state should contest elections or promote candidates pointing out that as a minister he attracted development to the state. He wondered why the minister of transportation has failed Rivers people, despite his opportunities in the failed APC federal government.

Director General of Rivers state PDP Campaign Council, Ambassador Desmond Akawor said that all across Obio/Akpor local government area, the projects of Governor Wike were a testament of his performance.

Rivers state PDP chairman, Bro Felix Obuah said that the rally was a mass affirmation of the governor’s acceptance by his people. He said that rally is more than a local government gathering.