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Election Postponement; Buhari, APC Behind Election Shift, Timi Frank Reveals

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Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank said election shift was plotted by President Muhammadu Buhari and APC leadership.

Frank alleged that the President together with the APC chieftains had gone into a secret meeting with Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the Saturday’s election was postponed.

He said the election postponement is a template designed by the APC’s leadership to rig the presidential election also included staggered and postponement of elections to frustrate the Nigerian voter.

While addressing the Newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, the former APC publicist said Nigerians and the international community should disregard the President statement concerning the election shift, said it is ‘lip service’.

The President had earlier expressed his disappointment on the postponement of the presidential and National Assembly elections that were so supposed to hold on February 16, 2019.

He, however, condemned in strong terms the desperation of the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai who allegedly lied that 66 persons mostly Fulanis were allegedly killed by unidentified gunmen in the state on the eve of the postponed elections in order to provoke chaos and force cancellation of poll results in the state.

He stated that the reported case of 16 bags of already thumb-printed 3.3 million ballot paper in favour of the ruling party allegedly going to Kano and many other states, calls for concern on the readiness of the APC’s leadership for the election.

“I have been vindicated on my earlier revelation about the INEC’s secret meeting with Gen Buhari,” said the Bayelsa-born political activist.

The former APC Deputy National spokesman said Professor Yakubu’s insistence that he would conduct the election in just one day was against the rigging template of the leadership of the APC, hence the frontal attacks against him by the presidency and the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole.

While calling on Nigerians to resist any attempt to impose a former INEC’s head of logistic, Hajia Amina Zakari, as the electoral umpire, Frank urged Prof Yakubu to remain resolute in the face of intimidation and blackmail by the APC’s leaders.

“Intelligence at my disposal presently indicates that the presidency and some APC leaders are no longer comfortable with Prof. Yakubu’s headship of INEC but they should bear it in mind that INEC is a constitutionally guaranteed independent body.

“Nigerians must be prepared to resist the imposition of Amina Zakari as the new chairman of INEC,” he stated.

On the readiness of Gen. Buhari to relinquish power if defeated, Frank expressed worry over the kind of statements credited to the president in a recent interview with CNN, where the former military ruler said ‘nobody can unseat me.’

“Gen. Buhari is yet to come to terms with democratic processes. His recent comment has shown that he is a sit tight leader at heart, doing everything possible to repeat what he did in 1983,” he said.

Comrade Frank, therefore, called on the international community to continue to keep an eye on the process leading to the elections, to avoid chaos in Africa’s most populous country.

He also urged Nigerian voters not to be discouraged but angrily use their PVCs on the 23rd of February to end the reign of impunity and lifelessness by APC-led administration.

Politics

Enugu LGA chairman appoints aides on garden egg, pepper, yam

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Eric Odo, chairman of Igbo Etiti LGA of Enugu state, has appointed Ezeugwu Ogbonna as senior special assistant on agriculture (yam and pepper).

The appointment is contained in a letter dated November 1 and addressed to Ogbonna.

“I am pleased to inform you that the executive chairman Igbo Etiti LGA has approved your appointment as senior special assistant to the local government chairman on agriculture (yam and pepper),” the letter reads.

“You should report to the executive chairman Igbo Etiti LGA, Ogbede, for briefing and deployment.

“It is pertinent to note that this is not a career civil service appointment but a temporary appointment which you hold at the pleasure of the executive chairman of Igbo Etiti LGA.”

Odo also appointed Nwodo Ugonna as special adviser on garden egg and pepper.

The council chairman did not outline the specific duties of the appointees.

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Ondo guber: Obi, NLC ruined my chances of winning, says LP candidate

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Ayodele Olorunfemi, candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the Ondo governorship election, says Peter Obi and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) ruined his chances of winning.

On Sunday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Lucky Aiyedatiwa, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as winner of the poll.

The governor secured 366,781 votes in all 18 LGAs to defeat his closest rival Agboola Ajayi, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 117,845 votes.

The LP candidate secured 1,162 votes, finishing fifth from bottom in the 17-candidate off-cycle election.

On the eve of the election, INEC substituted Olusola Ebiseni with Olorunfemi.

On September 27, the federal high court in Abuja directed INEC to recognise Ebiseni as the LP candidate.

The party appealed the ruling, and the appellate court struck out the earlier judgment for lack of jurisdiction.

The umpire said it had restored Olorunfemi’s name as the LP candidate in line with the court judgment.

“The commission was yesterday 14th November 2024 served with the certified true copy (CTC) of the judgment of the court of appeal which set aside the judgment of the federal high court (FHC), Abuja division,” the statement reads.

“In obedience to the court order, the commission has restored Olorunfemi Ayodele Festus, whose name was first published as the Labour Party candidate for the 2024 Ondo state governorship election, and uploaded the same to our website for public information.”

In the buildup to the election, Obi endorsed Ebiseni and described him as “someone who believes in a Nigeria rooted in fairness, equity, and justice”.

“It is this conviction that propelled me to travel by road to Ondo state yesterday to campaign alongside our Labour Party Governorship Candidate, Hon. Sola Ebiseni — a candidate I believe possesses the competence and capacity to govern the State effectively,” Obi said.

‘THEY SCUTTLED MY ASPIRATION’

Speaking with PUNCH, Olorunfemi alleged that Obi and NLC sabotaged his governorship bid.

He admitted that his last-minute campaign was poorly organised and ineffectual.

“My campaign for the election was neither here nor there. I have Peter Obi and the NLC to thank for that. They have scuttled my aspirations and chances to win this Ondo election,” Olorunfemi said.

“These people spoilt things for us with that PDP reject they wanted to force on the party. Their insistence on having Ebiseni on the ballot ruined everything for me.

“They just capitalised on the crisis between the Labour Party and the Nigeria Labour Congress to create problems.

“Can you imagine that Ebiseni wrote a letter to the court in my name without my knowledge, saying I have withdrawn from the race? They cannot exclude me from such a position.”

Olorunfemi admitted that he knew his chances of winning were slim after his reinstatement, adding that he is determined to “get his pound of flesh”.

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‘He wanted me to succeed him’ — Aiyedatiwa dedicates victory to Akeredolu

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Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Ondo state governor-elect, says he wishes Rotimi Akeredolu, his late principal, was alive to witness his victory.

Aiyedatiwa, the incumbent governor of Ondo, secured victory in all 18 LGAs, garnering 366,781 votes to defeat his closest rival, Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 117,845 votes.

Aiyedatiwa took over the leadership of the state after Akeredolu died from protracted prostate cancer in 2023.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television after his victory, Aiyedatiwa said Akeredolu wanted him as his successor.

“How I wish he was present in that banquet hall when I was declared in the company of other brother governors. That would have been really good, but God knows better,” he said.

“It is so sad and painful that he didn’t live to see the manifestation of what he himself spoke about. I do refer to him sometimes as the man who saw tomorrow.

“He knew that I was going to succeed him as governor. He knew because he wanted me to and was ready to give me the full backing.”

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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