Politics

Edo election: Security agencies should desist from intimidation of opposition parties members: Minority Caucus cautions

Published

2 years ago

September 19, 2024

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By Mario Deepromoter

… ensure neutrality

…and INEC must inspire in Nigerians

As the Edo state governorship elections is few days away, the Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives outrightly condemns the incessant discriminatory arrests of members and leaders of some opposition parties by the police and other security agencies.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Caucus Leader, Rep Kingsley Chinda where the Caucus expressed concern over events in Edo State.

” We are worried by the reported cases of deliberate coercion, gross harassment, and grand intimidation of some of the minority party faithful and stakeholders across the state.

“We are alarmed that the police and some security agencies in cahoot with members of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) have, in the past weeks being involved in serial unlawful activities which includes wanton and forceful arrests of opposition members under spurious allegations.

The caucus also condemned the unusual silence from above saying: “More disturbing is the silence of the Federal Government to the ludicrous posturing, preposterous demagoguery, and insidious shenanigans of some leaders and senior members of the APC.

” Some of these people whose penchant for garrulousness and tactless elucidation are well documented. If these anti- democratic forces are not called to order, their negative acts may deny the good people of Edo state the opportunity to exercise their civic responsibility.

“Also, the FG must as of necessity, come clean and clear doubts about allegations that it plans to rig the elections for the APC candidate.

“The Caucus criticises in its entirety this negative ploy, which will further erode citizens confidence in our electoral system. As it is, the FG’s interest and interference in the elections has created mistrust in the electoral process among some voters.

“As major stakeholders in the electoral process and advocate for odourless, and transparent elections, the Caucus strongly appeals to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a free, fair, and credible elections on Saturday. Aware of the negative narratives, and stain-riddled perception of INEC by many Nigerians, the electoral body is advised to use the Edo governorship elections to wean itself of these baggages. The INEC should grab the opportunity of Saturday’s election to embark on necessary image-cleaning, credibility re-positioning, and convince Nigerians of its independence. To achieve this, the electoral umpire should not only guarantee level playing field for all parties, and candidates, it must ensure that voters freely exercise their franchise.

“The Caucus enjoins the FG, INEC, security agencies, political parties, and other major stakeholders to play by the rules. President Bola Tinubu must ensure that the Edo governorship elections, the fourth in his administration, must be an improvement on the Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa elections. To achieve this, he must ensure that INEC is fair to all parties; guarantee the neutrality of the police, and other security agencies, and emplace protection of voters.

“The Caucus has also resolved to monitor the election to enable it take necessary and consequential legislative action.

Politics

Accord party demands removal of EFCC chairman immediately

Published

5 hours ago

August 7, 2026

Austin Ojomah

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The Accord Party has demanded the resignation of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing the anti-graft agency of partisanship and interference in the build-up to the August 15 guber election in Osun State.

The party said its position followed the EFCC’s decision to freeze an account belonging to the Osun State Government before subsequently reversing the restriction.

He called on the EFCC chairman to step down, adding that President Bola Tinubu should remove him if he refused to resign.

He accused the commission of exceeding its statutory powers when it restricted the state government’s account on August 5, describing the action as capable of undermining confidence in public institutions.

He further stated, “Accordingly, Accord demands the immediate resignation of the EFCC chairman.

“For embarrassing the President, the party, the government and people of Osun State and fellow citizens, the EFCC chairman should toe the path of honour and tender his resignation.

If he fails to resign, President Tinubu should sack him immediately to restore the integrity of the anti-graft agency.”

The EFCC had maintained that the restriction was connected to an ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities and was not politically motivated.

Politics

City Boy Movement sacks Oyo coordinator for insulting TInubu, son

Published

13 hours ago

August 7, 2026

Austin Ojomah

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The City Boy Movement (CBM) has fired Ahmed Ajibola as its Oyo State Coordinator for insulting President Bola Tinubu, Seyi Tinubu and the leadership of the movement.

A statement signed by the movement’s Director-General, Francis Shoga, on Thursday, said Mr Ajibola’s removal came barely two months after he was issued a formal notice to respond to several allegations contained in a petition submitted against him.

On the 2nd of June, 2026, a notice signed by the Director-General of the City Boy Movement, Hon. Francis Oluwatosin Shoga, Ajibola was accused of making abusive, insulting and derogatory remarks against the national leadership of the Movement, including the Director-General.

“The petition also alleged that he made offensive comments concerning the Movement’s Patron, Barr. Seyi Tinubu, directed derogatory remarks at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, engaged in acts of insubordination and disrespect towards constituted authority,” the statement read.

According to the statement, Mr Ajibola also challenged a leader of the movement in the state to a physical confrontation and engaged in conduct capable of bringing the image and reputation of the City Boy Movement into disrepute.

The appointment letter also clarified that the state coordinator reports directly to the Oyo State Director of the City Boy Movement and operates under the director’s authority, supervision and overall leadership,” it added.

Politics

Bode George Needs To Take A Rest, He Should Stop Being Embarrassingly Shameless – Wike’s Aide

Published

1 day ago

August 6, 2026

Austin Ojomah

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Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Bode George, has been advised to borrow a bit of maturity that comes with old age from those with whom he ruled Nigeria 38 years ago, take a rest and “stop embarrassing himself and the Yoruba race by persistently dancing naked in the market place of politics.”

Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, said “For someone who was Military Governor of the old Ondo State in 1988 (38 years ago), some level of decorum and maturity is expected. But it is becoming an embarrassment the way a man like Chief Bode George, who should be acting like an elder statesman, is jumping from one television station to the other to malign people who are young enough to be his children.”

Olayinka, who challenged Bode George to show what his leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State has produced, added that “Since 1999, he has not won his polling unit for the PDP.

“Unlike Lagos State, we have had PDP governors in Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo and Osun States. Methinks rather than doing ‘cho cho cho’ all the time, Bode George needs to tell Nigerians why PDP has remained at the sideline in the politics of Lagos State since 1999.”

Admonishing Bode George to begin to “act like an elder that he is supposed to be,” Olayinka said; “Even if a man was overspoilt, rascally, too playful and dull as a child, at 81, he should have outgrown those vices.”

He said; “In Yorubaland, it is a strict cultural and traditional rule to respect elders. However, this respect is not automatic, it is conditional and the major condition is that an elder must avoid disrespecting himself. That is the reason it is said that ‘an elder who chooses to tie corn to his waist and run around will have fowls chasing and making mockery of him.

“Today, who among those eminent Nigerians who served as Military Governors with Bode George between 1988 and 1990 are doing ‘political we no go gree’ up and down, jumping from one media house to another to lie? Even in the PDP, who among those who served in the party’s National Working Committee with him is talking anyhow in the media as he is doing?

“Most importantly, to be respected, an elder should honour his own words. Six times, Bode George vowed to leave Nigeria should Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerged as President, he never did.

“In 2015, ahead of the presidential election, Bode George promised to go on exile if APC emerged victorious in the presidential election.

“In February 2020, he said he will disown Nigeria to take the citizenship of Togo or any other country if Tinubu is elected president.

“On May 7, 2021, on Arise News, Bode George echoed his stand that he will cease to be a Nigerian should Tinubu get the presidency.

“Also in 2021, while featuring on Arise News, Bode George said he will review and renounce his citizenship of Nigeria if Tinubu becomes president.

“In January 2022, after Tinubu had announced his bid to contest for president, Bode George said he will move away from Nigeria.

“At a press briefing on March 19, 2022, Bode George further reiterated that his promise to leave Nigeria if Tinubu emerged president was no joke.

“He said then that ‘If by whatever chance he (Tinubu) gets to the villa, I won’t be part of this country. And I am not joking. I can go to Ghana and be watching with binoculars from afar.’

“Now, it is more than three years of Tinubu as President and he (Bode George) has failed to honour his own words. Should such an elder still be regarded as honourable?”

The FCT Minister’s Spokesperson insisted that the Minister will continue to stand by what he said that Bode George lacked the required moral standing to sermonised about corruption, being one of the founding fathers of corruption in Nigeria.

“Wike was clear. He said Bode George’s Abuja house was acquired with funds from Rivers State, and he stands by this.

“Bode George said he bought the property from a private owner through an agent. That is not the issue.

“Wike’s statement was never about who the property was purchased from or through. Rather, what he said was that the money with which the property was acquired came from Rivers State, and this is the question Bode George must answer,” Olayinka concluded.