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Cross River adds ‘Jesus Carnival’ to its tourism calendar

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The Cross River State Government has officially introduced a new annual event into its tourism calendar. The event, titled “Carnival Parade of Thanksgiving and Festival of Praise” — popularly known as the “Jesus Carnival” — will be held every Easter season.

The maiden edition took place on Easter Monday in the state capital, Calabar, and was flagged off by the governor, Senator Bassey Otu, alongside his wife, Bishop Eyoawan Bassey Otu.

The colourful and spiritually charged event, marked by splendor and cultural flair, is a spiritual offshoot of the globally celebrated Carnival Calabar, traditionally held every December.

Organizers explained that the Jesus Carnival is designed as a moment of collective gratitude to God for the success of Carnival Calabar and the continued progress of the state. It blends faith, culture, and thanksgiving into a unique Christian celebration during the Easter season.

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Speaking at the event, Governor Otu declared: “Jesus Christ has taken Cross River State to unimaginable heights within two years of this administration. From inception, I declared this a Godly state, and Jesus the true governor.

“Easter Monday has now been set aside to celebrate Jesus and to say, ‘Father, thank You for how far You’ve brought us.’ The story of Cross River State is changing for the better. I’m grateful to all the men and women of God who have continually kept the state in their prayers.”

He called on more Christians to join the effort to pray for Cross River, emphasizing that “no investment in the things of God is ever wasted.”

The governor also thanked the large contingent of clergy who led their congregations in participating in the event.
The parade route covered several strategic locations across Calabar Municipality and Calabar South, including Millennium Park, Watt Market, Nelson Mandela Street, Target Street, and the Mary Slessor Roundabout, before returning to the main carnival corridor.

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Prayers were offered at various roundabouts, adding a spiritual dimension to the march.

Otu and his wife danced and sang alongside thousands of Christian faithful, with gospel music echoing through the streets in a jubilant expression of faith.

Bishop Mrs. Eyoawan Otu, speaking before the flag-off, said the vision for the Easter event was inspired by a desire to dedicate a significant part of the tourism calendar to Jesus Christ.

“While Carnival Calabar is a secular celebration, this is a spiritual festival — one created to honor Christ for His sacrifice and celebrate our faith as a people,” she explained.

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The Special Adviser to the Governor on Event Management, Mr. Effiong Ekpenyong, described the Jesus Carnival as the brainchild of the First Lady, crediting her prayerful support for much of the administration’s success.

He coordinated the parade’s logistics and highlighted its significance as a new attraction in the state’s growing tourism offerings.

“With this spiritually uplifting addition to its tourism calendar, Cross River State has reaffirmed its identity as a place where culture and faith intersect, making Easter not just a religious observance, but a state-wide celebration of divine gratitude and praise,” he concluded.

The celebration culminated with live gospel music performances, headlined by internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter, and producer, Cobhams Asuquo, whose electrifying performance left the crowd in awe.

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Prayers were led by prominent religious leaders, including the State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. (Dr.) Takis Etim Caiafas; Bishop Josef Bassey; Bishop Emma Isong; Bishop Bassey E. Edem; Apostle Frank Umoh, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Religious Affairs; and several others across various Christian denominations.

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BREAKING: Gov Adeleke in Early Lead, Wins First INEC Announced Results 

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Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken an early lead over the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the first polling unit Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken an early lead over the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the first polling unit result declared in the ongoing Osun State governorship election.Applying For Government Grants The result was announced at Polling Unit 39, Ward 4, in Osogbo Local Government Area after officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) concluded voting, sorting and counting of the ballots. The Presiding Officer, Oyeranmi Deborah, announced the results as follows:

AAC — 1 voteCampaigns & Elections – ADC — 2 votes – APC — 43 votes – ZLP — 1 vote

The result shows that Accord Party secured the highest number of votes at the polling unit with 65 votes, while the APC polled 43 votes. Although the result does not represent the overall outcome of the election, it provides an early indication of voting patterns at the polling-unit level as collation continues across the state.

The election in Osogbo report that voting has ended in some polling units, with officials already sorting and counting ballots. Results from other polling units are expected to emerge as INEC officials continue the counting and collation process across Osun State.

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The final winner of the governorship election will be determined after all results have been collated and formally declared by INEC.

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Osun Decides: Fadahunsi Under Fire Again Over Remarks at Polling Unit

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Senator Francis Fadahunsi has come under renewed scrutiny over comments he reportedly made while addressing supporters at his polling unit during Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.

A video purportedly recorded at the polling location showed the senator urging his supporters to monitor their ballots before making further remarks about how they should vote.

The comments have triggered a reaction from the Imole Campaign Council, which accused Fadahunsi of attempting to influence voters during the election.

The council’s spokesman, Pelumi Olajengbesi, described the remarks as unacceptable and undemocratic and called on security agencies to investigate the development.

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The latest controversy comes days after Fadahunsi was invited by the Osun State Police Command over comments attributed to him during a campaign event in Ilesa.

The senator had previously faced criticism over a statement interpreted by opponents as a call for violence against members of the Accord Party.

Fadahunsi later clarified that the statement was not intended literally, explaining that he was urging his supporters to defeat the Accord Party politically at the polls.

The earlier controversy also attracted the attention of Amnesty International Nigeria, which called for an investigation and accountability over the alleged inciting remarks.

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With voting underway across the state, the latest incident has again placed Fadahunsi under scrutiny amid heightened political tensions surrounding the governorship election.

However, the interpretation of the senator’s latest remarks and the allegations made by the campaign council could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report.

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Davido Alleges He Was Barred From Entering Osun to Cast His Vote 

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Popular singer, Davido has alleged that soldiers are attempting to prevent him from entering Osun State as residents vote in the governorship election.

Davido made the claim in a post on his verified X account early Saturday.

“I’ve been reliably informed that soldiers are trying to prevent me from entering Osun tomorrow; this won’t happen. Every citizen of Nigeria has the right to movement at any point in time,” he wrote.

His claim comes hours after the Nigeria Police Force announced a restriction of movement across Osun State from midnight on Friday until 6:00 p.m. on Saturday as part of security measures for the election.

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Thousands of police officers and other security personnel have been deployed across the state to maintain security during the poll.

Recall that Davido, who is a nephew of Governor Ademola Adeleke, has been actively campaigning for his uncle, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord Party.

The governor is facing Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other candidates in the off-cycle election.

Davido’s allegation has generated mixed reactions, with some social media users pointing to the already announced movement restriction as a possible explanation for security checks, while others raised concerns about whether the restriction was being selectively applied.

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Bashir Ahmad, a former presidential media aide, dismissed Davido’s claim as “dramatic”, arguing that the movement restriction had already been publicly announced by security agencies.

“You are just dramatic, @davido. It has been widely announced by the security operators that movement in and around Osun will be restricted from 12 midnight today until 6 pm today due to the election, and this is a standard security measure during elections anywhere, not peculiar to Osun,” Ahmad wrote.

He emphasized that the constitutional right to freedom of movement does not exempt citizens from lawful security measures introduced to protect the electoral process.

“So the right to freedom of movement does not mean ignoring lawful security measures put in place to ensure a peaceful and credible election,” he added.

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