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Despite petition, Edo REC won’t be removed, INEC tells PDP

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By Mario Deepromoter

Despite petition, the Independent National Electoral Commission has snubbed the call by the Peoples Democratic Party to remove the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Edo State, Anugbum Onuoha, ahead of the September 21, 2024 governorship election.

Recall both Governor Godwin Obaseki and the national leadership of the PDP have called for the removal of Onuoha, citing his relationship with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

They expressed fears that the REC would manipulate the election in favor of the All Progressives Congress.

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On Thursday, the Chairman of the Edo State PDP, Anthony Aziegbemhin, escalated the matter by submitting a formal protest letter to INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu.

In the letter, Aziegbemhin called for Onuoha’s immediate redeployment, citing concerns over his past role as Commissioner and Special Adviser for Lands, Survey, and Housing under Wike’s administration as Rivers State governor.

“The ties between these two are too close to ignore as they share familiarities and are also close associates. To be clear, the relationship between the two is outlined below:

“The said Edo REC is a cousin to the Minister of the FCT, Mr. Wike. He also served as a former Commissioner and Special Adviser for Lands, Survey, and Housing to Mr. Wike during his tenure as Rivers governor,” the letter partly read.

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The controversy intensified after Wike, during a recent interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Friday, acknowledged the familial connection but emphasised that Onuoha is capable of carrying out his duties impartially, without influence from family or political affiliations.

Responding to these concerns, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, urged the PDP to focus on the process of the election and not on the REC.

“The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Edo State will not be redeployed. The governorship election will be conducted on 21st September 2024 in 4,519 polling units, not in the REC’s office.

“In the same manner, polling unit results will be declared by the respective Presiding Officers after the voting, ballot sorting and counting processes, in the presence of accredited party agents and other stakeholders.

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“The PO will also take a picture of the PU result in each polling unit with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, and upload same to the INEC Result Viewing portal. This process is not the same as electronic voting or electronic transmission and collation of results. The IReV is for transparency purposes. The Nigerian constitution does not yet recognise eletronic voting. Copies of the PU results will be given to accredited party agents.

“Thereafter, the various collation stages will be undertaken before the declaration of the final result at the State Collation Centre in Benin-City.

“The PDP should, therefore, focus on the process, not on the REC or other officials of the commission. The conduct of the election and result collation activity will take place in the open and accredited party agents will witness every step,” Oyekanmi explained.

He added that the commission would not give preference to any political party over the other.

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“INEC does not rig elections. The current commission conducted two governorship elections in Edo State in 2016 and 2020 successfully and nobody accused us of rigging.

“We assure all the political parties, registered voters and other stakeholders that the commission will provide a level playing field and not give any advantage to one political party or candidate over the other,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Inter-Party Advisory Council has urged stakeholders not to see the Edo State governorship election as war, noting that the exercise is meant to choose leaders who will promote good governance, accountability, and development.

The National Chairman of IPAC, Yusuf Dantalle, made the call in a statement Sunday in Benin, Edo State, after a stakeholders’ meeting.

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He also called on stakeholders in the off-cycle election to work together to create an environment conducive to credible elections.

He said, “To all stakeholders, let us remember, election is not war. It is simply an exercise in a democracy, where we choose leaders who will promote good governance, accountability, and development.

“As stakeholders, we must prioritise peace, equity, and justice. Let us work together to create an environment conducive to credible elections.

“I urge all stakeholders to adhere to the principles of democracy, respect the rights of others, and prioritise the interests of the Edo people and Nigeria in general,” he said.

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Politics

Guber Election: Osun APC Accuses Davido of Distributing Money to Residents

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The Head of Media and Publicity of the Osun All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council, Engr. Oluremi Omowaiye, has urged residents of Osun State to assess Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, based on his performance as Chairman of the Osun State Sports Trust Fund and his contributions to governance rather than his campaign appearances.

Omowaiye made the remarks during a broadcast on News Central TV while reacting to Davido’s participation in campaign activities for his uncle, Governor Ademola Adeleke, ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

He alleged that the singer only becomes politically active during election periods, accusing him of distributing money to residents and taking advantage of what he described as their vulnerability. He, however, maintained that voters in the state are now more interested in governance and service delivery than celebrity endorsements.

The APC campaign spokesman alleged that Osun State University is now the most expensive government-owned university in Nigeria and questioned whether Davido had used his influence to advocate a reduction in tuition fees. He also claimed that some students of the University of Ilesa pay as much as N1.5 million in school fees.

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Omowaiye said the APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, had pledged to reduce tuition fees if elected and questioned whether Davido would encourage students to support that promise.

He also criticised Davido’s performance as Chairman of the Osun State Sports Trust Fund, alleging that Osun has no functional government-owned stadium despite his appointment.

According to him, the state’s male and female football clubs were relegated during Davido’s tenure as chairman, adding that the singer had not made any meaningful contribution to sports development in the state.

Omowaiye further accused the Adeleke family of concentrating public appointments among relatives instead of creating opportunities for young people across Osun State.

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He claimed that Davido serves as Chairman of the Osun State Sports Trust Fund, while his brother, Tunji Adeleke Jr., was appointed Chairman of the Osun State Local Government Service Commission at the age of 31. He also alleged that another member of the family serves as Senior Special Assistant on Tourism.

The APC spokesman maintained that public offices were being recycled within the Adeleke family, arguing that while young people are mobilised during campaigns, they are allegedly excluded from government appointments and other opportunities.

He also questioned Davido’s silence on what he described as major governance issues in the state, including education, healthcare, road infrastructure, electricity reforms and the alleged payment of N13.7 billion to ghost workers.

Omowaiye argued that Davido had not publicly challenged the state government over the condition of schools, hospitals, roads or other public services, despite his closeness to the governor.

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He insisted that the people of Osun would not be influenced by celebrity status during the election, maintaining that they would vote based on governance, competence and performance.

The APC spokesman also referred to comments credited to Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who reportedly advised Davido to prepare to employ Governor Ademola Adeleke as a dancer if he loses the August 15 governorship election.

Omowaiye’s remarks came after Davido joined Governor Adeleke at a campaign rally in Osun as political activities intensified ahead of the governorship poll.

The singer arrived in the state on Thursday, August 6, and has actively participated in campaign activities in support of his uncle’s re-election bid.

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Videos from the rally showed Davido moving through a large crowd alongside the governor’s son, Sina Adeleke, popularly known as Shina Rambo, before both climbed over a barricade to join Governor Adeleke on the campaign stage, where they danced with supporters.

As of the time of filing this report, neither Davido nor the Osun State Government had responded to the allegations made by Omowaiye.

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Politics

Accord party demands removal of EFCC chairman immediately

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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.

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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.”

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

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City Boy Movement sacks Oyo coordinator for insulting TInubu, son

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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.

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“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.

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