Politics

2023 Elections: 21 Deaths Reported On Election Day – EU Mission

Published

2 years ago

March 21, 2023

The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM) said no fewer than 21 deaths were reported in the just concluded general election.

The election monitoring group disclosed this in its second preliminary report released on Monday.

According to the EU-EOM, the fatalities were recorded on election day.

It said there were “multiple incidents of thuggery and intimidation” that interrupted polls in several voting units across the country on election day.

The EU-EOM stated, “obstruction and organised violence limited the free expression of the will of the voters, despite efforts by civil society to promote democratic standards”.

It also said vote-buying was recorded in the election, affecting the proper conduct of the exercise.

The report reads partly, “The 25 February post-election environment was largely peaceful, with parties appealing to supporters for calm. However, a few days before the 18 March elections, violence abruptly increased with more than a dozen attacks;

“… and abductions of candidates by thugs and unidentified gunmen, some of which resulted in fatalities. Violence shortly before and on election day appeared to strategically suppress voter participation.”

“Overall, on election day, multiple incidents of thuggery and intimidation interrupted polling in various locations, primarily across the south but also in states in the central and northern areas. There were reportedly some 21 fatalities. In polling units in several states, violent incidents targeted voters, INEC personnel, citizen observers, and journalists.

“Most polling units opened with materials and personnel deployed on time, although a dismal level of voter participation meant less pressure on INEC operations throughout the day. Vote-buying, also observed by EU EOM observers, further detracted from the appropriate conduct of the elections.”

The election observers said journalists were attacked while carrying out their duty and that security operatives turned blind eyes instead of prosecuting the attackers.

“Law enforcement agencies failed to prosecute persons who attacked, intimidated or harassed journalists during or after the presidential polls in at least five southern states with fiercely contested state-level races,” the EU-EOM said.

“In two further states, police arrested two journalists on bogus charges. EU EOM observers confirmed 10 incidents involving media; only in one instance, police opened a case.

“Impunity encouraged by police inaction is detrimental to freedom of expression, particularly as independent and trusted outlets are targeted. This does not accord with Nigeria’s regional and international commitments to the protection of the media.”
VANGUARD

Politics

Coalition: Why Tinubu Must Not Sleep —Primate Ayodele

Published

4 hours ago

July 5, 2025

Editor

Primate Elijah Ayodele of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church has warned President Bola Tinubu to be vigilant, stating that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is already making mistakes that could cost them victory in the 2027 elections.

According to Primate Ayodele, the APC’s national convention will mark the beginning of the party’s crisis.

“For APC, their convention is dangerous, and the convention will mark the beginning of APC’s crisis. Tinubu must not sleep because mistakes are being made already. I see serious problems in the party, but they are not yet seeing it,” he revealed.

Primate Ayodele also revealed that there are several things God has shown him regarding the 2027 elections, and more will be revealed at the launch of his annual prophecy book, “Warnings to the Nations,” on July 5, 2025.

The book, which has been published annually since 1994, features prophecies concerning various nations, world leaders, and influential individuals.

In addition to his warning to President Tinubu, Primate Ayodele advised opposition candidates against relying on their proposed coalition platform, All Democratic Alliance (ADA), saying it will fail.

Instead, he suggested they adopt the African Democratic Congress (ADC) platform, which he believes has the capacity to build something strong.

“ADA Party will not give you anything, ADC is better for a coalition front than ADA. Even SDP cannot make any tangible movement, let them use ADC so they won’t build on an infertile ground.”

The upcoming edition of “Warnings to the Nations” spans over 600 pages and features prophecies on Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election, Ghana’s President John Mahama, and prominent Nigerian billionaires such as Mike Adenuga, Aliko Dangote, and Abdul Samad Rabiu.

The book has a track record of accurately foretelling significant global events, with over 15,000 prophecies coming to pass since its inception.

Politics

Amaechi: I Will Resign As FCT Minister If… Wike

Published

19 hours ago

July 4, 2025

Editor

Federal Capital Territory FCT minister, Nyesom Wike has begged President Bola Tinubu to release the report of the forensic audit on the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC, which he said indicted the former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

Wike vowed to resign if the report is released and its contents do not indict Amaechi.

Speaking on ‘Politics Today’ on Channels Television monitored on Friday in Abuja, Wike who was responding to allegations by Amaechi that he was corrupt, said Amaechi’s wife received N4 billion monthly from the NDDC to train Niger Delta women.

He said, unlike Amaechi, he does not come from a poor background, hence his sophisticated taste.

Wike said, “First of all, Amaechi’s wife was not an industrialist. She has never been, and that is why I call on Mr President to release the forensic audit of NDDC.

“Amaechi’s wife company, every month, got N4 billion to train Niger Delta women. That is N48 billion in one year alone, and the forensic audit report is there. Who killed it? It was Malami, then the Attorney General.

“That is one of the people who is now talking. Mr President should help Nigerians. You see, this is what I have always said. Mr President should help Nigerians. Please, release the forensic audit of the NDDC.

“I have said, let Mr President please do us a favour to release that document. Former Attorney General, Malami, killed that document to protect those who were concerned.

“I am not just saying what I am saying, let them release the document. If what I am saying is not in the document, I will resign at the Minister of the FCT. I said I will resign.

“I don’t worship office. What I am saying, let them release the forensic audit of the NDDC. I didn’t say the forensic audit was right, but I said, release the report of the forensic audit.

“That is how the wife became an industrialist – N4 billion every month to train Niger Delta women”, he stated.

Wike challenged the academic qualifications of Amaechi, describing them as less than average, and also faulted Amaechi’s claim that a Senator gave him (Amaechi) a Rolls-Royce but that he does not use it.

According to the FCT minister, the vehicle was given to Amaechi by a contractor who was executing about -0 percent of the projects in Rivers state. In contrast, the former Transport Minister was the governor.

Politics

Coalition: Abure-led LP Gives Obi 48 Hours To Leave Party

Published

2 days ago

July 3, 2025

Editor

The Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has given the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, a 48 hours ultimatum to leave the party haven formally joined the coalition party.

This was contained in a statement signed by the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, in Abuja, on Thursday.

He explained that the Labour Party under Abure’s leadership remains vehemently opposed to joining the coalition while dismissing members of the coalition as “power mongers whose only interest was self and not the people.”

The party warned Nigerians that the often mouthed ‘new Nigeria is Possible’ is a ruse and cannot be achieved with the assemblage of old, recycled, desperate and frustrated politicians in the coalition.

Ifoh said the party is aware that all those who mismanaged Nigeria over the years are the ones that gathered themselves in the coalition while noting that desperate politicians can’t birth new Nigeria.

He said, “We are aware of several nocturnal meetings between Peter Obi and some of our members, lobbying them to join him in his new party. We’re also aware that a number of them has refused to defect with him.

“Labour Party has consistently said it is not part of the coalition and therefore, any of our members who is part of the coalition is given within 48 hours to formally resign his membership of the party.

“Labour Party is not available for people with dual agenda, people with deceptive persona. The party will not avail itself to individuals who have one leg in one Party and another leg elsewhere.

“People who in the morning they will claim to be in the Labour Party and in the evening they are in coalition.

“Nearly 70 per cent of the Nigerian population are youths who are tired of the old order, tired of gerontocrats deciding their fate. The new Nigeria that the youths are dreaming of, is not what can be realized from what we are seeing in the coalition.

“These people are opportunistic politicians who are only interested in relaunching themselves into circle of power, people who are desperate to continue holding on to power.

“The new Nigeria of our dream can only be realised through the Labour Party, and the party is willing to lead Nigerians along that trajectory.

“I therefore urge all members of the party to remain loyal and keep the party structure intact ahead of future elections.”