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2023: INEC Gives Update On Supplementary Polls

Published

2 years ago

March 17, 2023

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has dismissed reports that it intends to conduct supplementary elections arising from the presidential and National Assembly elections together with the governorship and state assembly elections slated for tomorrow, Saturday, March 18.

National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, Festus Okoye, disclosed this in a statement issued Friday in Abuja.

He said: “The Commission has not scheduled the conduct of supplementary elections arising from the presidential and National Assembly elections.

“For clarity, the supplementary elections will take place on a date to be announced by the Commission immediately after the governorship and state assembly elections.

“However, this should not be confused with the two National Assembly elections earlier suspended by the Commission and rescheduled to hold along with the governorship and state assembly elections.

“First is the Enugu East senatorial district election, which was countermanded to allow the Labour Party, LP, conduct a fresh primary election to replace its deceased candidate in line with the provision of Section 34(1) of the Electoral Act 2022.

“The second is the Esan Central/Esan West/Igueben Federal Constituency of Edo State following issues with the ballot paper for the election.

“These are not supplementary but main elections that could not be held earlier.

“The public is advised to disregard any report alluding to the conduct of supplementary elections alongside the governorship and state assembly elections tomorrow, Saturday 18th March 2023,” he stated.

‘Lyon deserves APC ticket’

Meanwhile, the Progressive Consultative Forum, PCF, has made a case for the governor-elect of Bayelsa state, Chief David Lyon, ahead of the November governorship election in the state.

Director-General of PCF, Wilberforce Waribote, in a statement said for Bayelsa, a state with an uncanny voting pattern, the All Progressives Congress, APC, has to come to terms with the political ambition of two main contenders, Chief Timipre Sylva and Chief David Lyon.

He recalled that Sylva, a former governor of the state, failed in his bid to seek re-election.

“He contested and lost. It is on record that the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, only won in one of the eight local government areas of the state.

“Bayelsa has a reputation for not being a one-party state, as its people vote according to the exigencies of the time.

“In 2007, Sylva, who contested the governorship on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won to succeed Goodluck Jonathan.

“In 2019, there was a dramatic swing towards the APC, as the party’s gubernatorial candidate, David Lyon, won by a large margin but due to an alleged forgery case involving his deputy-elect nominated by “Timipre Sylva, PDP’s Douye Diri was declared by the Supreme court and Lyon disqualified before his inauguration.

“Party faithful in the state will attest to the fact that as soon as Lyon’s victory was upturned, the Minister tactically played down Lyon’s popularity, took over the party and led the party to disunity and crisis.

“One of the many sins of the Minister includes disobedience to court orders on the party executives at the ward-to-state level.

“It is on record that Sylva’s leadership style sprang up grievances in the party, members decamped to other political parties and the state gravitated towards the Labour Party (LP).

“This was evident in the presidential election of 25 February 2023. And it explained why all the APC national assembly candidates performed woefully.

“It is in light of this sad development in our party, that we members of the Progressive Consultative Forum (PCF) of Bayelsa state, wish to stem down the tide and reclaim the state back for APC.

“We are also committed to using the November 11 governorship election in the state to get the state back to the progressive camp.

“It is, however, our considered opinion that for the APC to make the desired impact at the polls and win the governorship seat, the party must put forward its best and the most acceptable candidate, while also ensuring that it goes into the elections with a united force to defeat the ruling PDP and the emerging LP.

“It is our candid opinion that Chief Sylva, at this point, could not be considered APC’s best choice in the forthcoming gubernatorial election.

“Sylva’s political inconsistency in recent times made him unfit for the party’s ticket. It will be recalled that he surreptitiously indicated his interest to vie for Nigeria’s presidency, and lacking the courage to resign his appointment as Minister and go for it, he buckled at the primaries.

“But his presidential interest was not lost on the party’s power brokers and the electorate in Bayelsa who have noted his lack of guts.

“In a similar vein, his refusal to resign from his current position as the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, a month before the party’s primaries as required by the Electoral Act is a legal lacuna.

“Akin to his indecisiveness at the presidential primaries, Sylva has again shown a visible lack of courage to do the needful at the right time but went on to join the power brokers to carry on a spoiler game.

“APC’s governorship primary is scheduled to take place on the 10th of April, 2023. All political appointees interested in the party’s primary ought to have resigned their appointments on or before the 10th of March, 2023.

“We make bold to say that as of today, 17th of March, 2023, the Minister is yet to turn in his resignation letter.

“That was a legal requirement that must be satisfied, and refusal to act by the provision of the law would be a fatal blow to his ambition and the party’s electoral fortune in the state.

“In light of this development, the entire leadership and members of the Progressive Consultative Forum of Bayelsa State wish to strongly warn the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) not to make a grievous mistake that will affect the bright prospects of the party at regaining our 2019 mandate.

“The party should not toy with such obvious facts for floating a candidate who has such an open legal deficiency that could be exploited by opposition parties in a court of law.

“In terms of popularity, while Sylva appears to have lost favour with the electorate in Bayelsa, David Lyon has been a philanthropist and a bridge builder who has proved to be at home with the populace including the physically challenged and the fatherless. He is loved and respected by all in Bayelsa state,” he stated.
VANGUARD

Headline

Anxiety As Trump Gives Russia 50 Days To Make Ukraine Deal

Published

6 hours ago

July 15, 2025

Editor

US President Donald Trump told Russia on Monday to end its war in Ukraine within 50 days or face massive new economic sanctions, as he laid out plans for infusions of weaponry for Kyiv via NATO.

Trump said he was “very, very unhappy” with Vladimir Putin, underlining his insistence that his patience had finally snapped with the Russian leader’s refusal to end the deadly conflict.

“We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days, tariffs at about 100 percent,” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

The Republican added that they would be “secondary tariffs” that target Russia’s remaining trade partners — seeking to impede Moscow’s ability to survive already sweeping Western sanctions.

Russia’s top trading partner last year was China, accounting for about 34 percent, followed distantly by India, Turkey and Belarus, according to the Russian Federal Customs Service.

Trump and Rutte also unveiled a deal under which the NATO military alliance would buy billions of dollars of arms from the United States — including Patriot anti-missile batteries — and send them to Ukraine.

“This is really big,” said Rutte, as he touted a deal aimed at easing Trump’s long-held complaints that the United States is paying more than European and NATO allies to aid Ukraine.

Germany, Canada, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Britain were among the buyers helping Ukraine, added the NATO chief.

“If I was Vladimir Putin today and heard you speaking… I would reconsider that I should take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously,” said Rutte.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had spoken with Trump and was “grateful” for the arms deal.

In a BBC interview published Tuesday, Trump expressed disappointment with Putin.

“I’m disappointed in him, but I’m not done with him,” the US president said.

When asked if he trusted the Russian leader, Trump replied: “I trust almost no one.”

– Growing frustration –

Trump attempted a rapprochement with Putin shortly after starting his second term, having campaigned on a pledge to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours.

His pivot towards Putin sparked fears in Kyiv that he was about to sell out Ukraine, especially after he and his team berated Zelensky in the Oval Office in February.

But in recent weeks, Trump has shown increasing frustration with Putin, as Russian has stepped up attacks rather than halting them.

Trump said his wife Melania had helped change his thinking about Putin.

“I go home, I tell the First Lady, ‘you know, I spoke to Vladimir today, we had a wonderful conversation,’” Trump said. “And she said, ‘Oh really? Another city was just hit.’”

He added of Putin: “I don’t want to say he’s an assassin, but he’s a tough guy.”

Washington has also U-turned on pausing some arms deliveries to Kyiv.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Berlin would play a “decisive role” in the new weapons plan.

But EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Trump’s sanctions deadline was too far into the future. “Fifty days is a very long time if we see that they are killing innocent civilians every day,” she said.

Beijing opposed what it called attempts at “coercion”, including “all illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction.”

“Coercion and pressure will not solve problems,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Tuesday.

– ‘Better late than never’ –
US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who are pushing a bipartisan bill on Russia secondary sanctions, praised Trump’s “powerful” ultimatum to Russia.

Trump’s special envoy Keith Kellogg arrived in Kyiv on Monday for what Zelensky called a “productive meeting.”

One Ukrainian soldier deployed in the war-scarred east of the country, who identified himself by his call sign Grizzly, welcomed Trump’s promise of fresh air defense systems.

“Better late than never,” the 29-year-old told AFP.

Russian forces meanwhile said on Monday they had captured new territory in eastern Ukraine with the seizure of one village in the Donetsk region and another in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Its forces also killed at least three civilians in the eastern Kharkiv and Sumy regions on Monday, Ukrainian officials said.

In Kyiv, Zelensky also proposed a major political shake-up, recommending economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko take over as prime minister, and appointing incumbent Prime Minister Denys Shmygal as defense minister.

AFP

Headline

US Threatens Visa Overstayers With Lifetime Ban

Published

23 hours ago

July 14, 2025

Editor

The United States government has issued a severe warning to foreign nationals who overstay their visa validity.

The embassy also cautioned that such action could lead to deportation and a permanent ban from re-entering the country.

In a statement made available to the press on Monday, US immigration authorities reiterated their longstanding policy on visa compliance, saying, “If you remain in the United States beyond your authorised period of stay, you could be deported, and could face a permanent ban on traveling to the United States.”

This warning comes amid rising migration figures, especially among young Africans, many of whom travel to the United States in pursuit of better education and economic opportunity.

According to recent data from the US Department of Homeland Security, visa overstays represent a significant portion of immigration violations annually, prompting tighter enforcement measures and renewed public awareness campaigns by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

However, under US immigration law, individuals who remain in the country unlawfully for more than 180 days can face a three- or ten-year ban and, in some cases, a lifetime bar from returning.

For Nigerians seeking to relocate or study in the US, the warning serves as a reminder to comply strictly with immigration terms, especially as global scrutiny on migration grows fiercer.

Headline

US Will Send Ukraine Patriot Air Defense Systems

Published

1 day ago

July 14, 2025

Editor

President Donald Trump on Sunday said the United States would send Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine to help it fight off a Russian invasion, as his relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin soured.

“We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need,” Trump said, without specifying how many, just two weeks after Washington said it would pause some arms deliveries to Kyiv.

“I haven’t agreed on the number yet, but they’re going to have some because they do need protection,” he told reporters.

The weapons delivery will be part of a new deal which Trump says will involve NATO paying the United States for some of the weapons it sends to Ukraine.

“We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military and they’re going to pay us 100 percent for them,” Trump told reporters.

The US president repeated that he was “disappointed” in Putin.

When he first returned to the White House in January Trump insisted he could work with the Russian leader to end the war, but grew increasingly frustrated as Russian missiles continued with no ceasefire in sight.

“Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening,” said the disgruntled Trump.

US special envoy Keith Kellogg is due to begin his latest visit to Ukraine on Monday.

Trump also said he would meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday, when he previously said he would make a “major statement… on Russia.”