Umo Eno, governor of Akwa Ibom, has handed over the office of the first lady to Helen Eno-Obareki, his daughter, following the death of his wife, Patience Umo Eno.

The governor spoke in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom capital, on Friday during a condolence visit by Oluremi Tinubu, Nigeria’s first lady.

Eno said his administration would sustain the office of the deceased and that Helen would help coordinate its affairs.

“Unfortunately for me, I happen to be the first sitting governor to have lost his wife and I pray it will not happen again to anybody, it is my earnest prayer,” Eno said.

“It is not an easy task ahead but I want to please beg you, I will continue to sustain the office of the first lady and I want to please introduce our daughter, Helen, [and] hand her over to you ma’am. She will continue to coordinate the office, your excellency.”

Eno thanked Oluremi Tinubu for her calls and prayers while his wife was ill, saying she is a mother to the entire nation who — despite party differences — relates with everyone.

“We are a PDP state but that has never crossed your mind in dealing with people. You have been consistently the mother of the nation,” he said.

“Please help extend our warmest appreciation to our father, the president and commander in chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

On her part, Oluremi condoled with the governor, saying the deceased was a “peaceful, God-fearing woman”.

‘A LOSS TO THE NATION’

In a subsequent visit, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described Patience’s death as a loss to the entire nation.

“God gives and God takes. He is a man of God, she herself was a great woman of God and for me, I believe that yes, on the earthly plane, we have lost a first lady, he has lost a wife, the family has lost a mother and lost a grandmother but they have gained an angel in heaven,” Akpabio said.

“So my prayer is that this death will be the beginning of great legacies for Umo Eno because, as she is there now in heaven closer to God, she will be guiding, praying for him and interceding and then helping Akwa Ibom to prosper more under his tenure.”

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has threatened to revoke the certificates of occupancy (C of O) of the plots of land owned by prominent individuals and corporate organisations in Abuja.

This notice affects landowners in the Maitama district of Abuja, who have two weeks to settle outstanding payments for their C of O or risk losing their property rights.

The two-week notice titled “Demand notice for payment of Right of Occupancy bills for issuance of Certificates of Occupancy on all lands allocated at Maitama II District, Cadastral Zone, A10, Abuja” was issued to 3,273 allottees.

The administration cited infrastructural development within the district as the reason for the notice.

“The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), through the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), is carrying out infrastructural development in Maitama II (A10) District,” the notice reads.

“All allottees who have not paid their bills for the Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) are hereby advised to settle their bills in full within two (2) weeks from the date of this publication.

“All affected allottees are informed that failure to pay all outstanding land bills, rents, fees, and charges within the stipulated grace period will result in the withdrawal of the offers of Rights of Occupancy (R-of-O) over the said plots of land by the honourable minister of the FCT, and reallocation of the lands.”

Some of the landowners affected include Yusuf Buhari and Zahra Buhari, children of former President Muhammadu Buhari; Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to the president; Abbas Tajudeen, speaker of the house of representatives; George Akume, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF); Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior; Bukola Saraki, former senate president; Yakubu Dogara, former speaker of the house of representatives; and Ovie Omo-Agege, former deputy senate president.

John Eno, minister of sports; Abubakar Kyari, minister of agriculture and food security; and Chris Nigige, former minister of labour and employment were also on the list.

Former governors on the list include Theodore Orji; Rochas Okorocha; Ibikunle Amosun; Tanko Al-Makura; Joshua Dariye; Gabriel Suswam; Ibrahim Shekarau; Okezie Ikpeazu; Jonah Jang; Seriake Dickson; Adamu Muazu; and Bukar Abba Ibrahim.

Serving and former lawmakers on the list are Dino Melaye, Kabiru Marafa, Stella Oduah, Danjuma Goje, Ben Bruce, David Umaru, Saliu Mustapha, Biodun Olujimi, Andy Uba, Sunday Karimi, Olumide Osoba, Nicholas Ossai, Emmanuel Bwacha, Osita Izunaso, and the House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, Wole Oke and Kabiru Gaya.

Others are Beni Lar, Leo Ogor, Darlington Nwokocha, Petet Nwaoboshi, Oker Jev, Lynda Ikpeazu, Khadijat Ibrahim, Obinna Chidoka, Philip Aduda, Smart Adeyemi, Chukwuka Utazi, Timothy Golu, Edward Pwajok, Ali Ndume, Ben Obi, Binta Garba, and Teslim Folarin.

Others on the list are Adamu Abdullahi, former national chairman of the APC, and Ameh Ebute, third republic senate president.

Officials of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission and voters, on Saturday, ran for their lives as armed men dressed in police uniform arrived at Elekahia Primary School in Port Harcourt City Local Government shooting teargas and seizing election materials.

About 21 Hilux Patrol Vans with heavily armed men were spotted driving into the venue from Elekahia Road and immediately fired several tear gas.

RSIEC officials who had set up their stand to begin accreditation in Ward 19 which has 10 units scampered for safety as the operatives chased them out of the entrance.

One of the armed men harassed an INEC official saying, “Come here, remove that vest. What are you doing here?”

The armed men, some of whom were masked, also asked the officials to remove their vests and hand them to them as they ensured that they carted away all election materials and fired more teargas.

The armed men also shot tear gas canisters directly into the crowd of people who were running for their lives.

One of the armed men fired another teargas at bystanders at the entrance of Ibe Street in Elekahia, as residents and those who came out to cast their votes ran helter-skelter.

Many of the RSIEC officials, voters and residents of the community ran into Ibe and Boms Streets in the Elekahia community in a confused manner, thereby creating tension in the area, as several police patrol vans sped out of the area with many election materials.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she was not aware of the incident.

“I’m not aware. You are just telling me now”, she stated tersely.