Politics

Anxiety Heightens Over Enugu, Abia Gov Results

Published

3 years ago

March 22, 2023

Anxiety over the release of the results of the governorship elections in Enugu and Abia States continued, yesterday, as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Labour Party, LP, continued to lay claims to victories.

Both parties have continued to mount pressure on the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, to declare the results and announce their candidates as the winner.

They have also laid siege at the INEC office, vowing not to depart until the results were declared.

In Abia State, the story is the same, as both the LP and PDP accused INEC of trying to manipulate the results.

The contention in Abia were votes from Obingwa Local Government Area, but Ferdinand Ekeoma, Media Aide to the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Dr. Alex Otti, has argued that even if the entire accredited voters in the local council were allocated to the candidate of the ruling PDP, Okey Ahiwe, Otti would still win the poll.

Meantime, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has charged the INEC to expedite action on the release of the results of the governorship elections, held in the two states, as further delay had the potential of calling the credibility of the results to question.

LP supporters besiege INEC office, say Edeoga won

In Enugu, members of the “Obidient Movement,” as well as the supporters of the Labour Party governorship candidate for Enugu State, Chijoke Edeoga, have besieged the premises of the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, Enugu, insisting that Labour Party won the election.

The irate supporters who had been keeping vigil for two days along the major roads leading to INEC office since security agents barricaded the road, mounted canopies and have stayed put until they reclaim their supposed mandate.

The supporters also pulled resources together and have been eating and drinking since the vigil began.

Speaking to our correspondent on the incident, the Enugu State chairman of LP, Casmir Agbo said that they were there because they didn’t want PDP to manipulate the outcome of the election.

“We are here because of the governorship election that PDP is trying to manipulate. We won convincingly in all the 17 local government areas. We won by more than 11,000 votes. We have seen the results. The only problem is Nkanu East.” Agbo said.

The Director General, DG, of Take Back Enugu For Edeoga Initiative, Nnamdi Anigbo said they would not bulge until they reclaim their mandate.

PDP protesters also occupying INEC office

Similarly, PDP, protesters have vowed to keep occupying Enugu INEC office until Mbah is declared winner.

The protesters, who mounted several canopies with food and drinks at the WAEC Junction just before the state headquarters of INEC, disagreed with the commission on its decision to suspend the announcement of the final results and declaration of Mbah as the winner of the governorship contest.

They also accused the INEC of adopting different rules from the one it used during the national collation of presidential election results, where it ignored complaints from the agents of opposition parties.

Spokesman of the protesters and former member of House of Representatives, Usa Igwesi, who spoke to newsmen, accused INEC of usurping the duties of the Election Petition Tribunals and warned that Enugu State was running out of patience as a result of the continuous withholding of the governorship election results.

He said: “We don’t need any soothsayer to tell us that Peter Mbah won the election. We’re surprised that INEC is still holding this result undeclared. We want to inform them that Enugu State is running out of patience. We are asking them to declare the result and announce Mbah of PDP winner. As long as they keep holding the results, we keep occupying Enugu”.

Announce collated results from 17 LGAs

Meantime, political parties in Enugu State under the auspices of Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, have called on the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to direct the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Enugu State, Dr. Chukwuemeka J. Chukwu and the State Returning Officer, Prof. Maduebibisi O. Iwe to as a matter of urgency announce the already collated results of governorship election from the 17 local government areas and declare the winner of the election without further delay.

IPAC which made the call during a press conference in Enugu, yesterday, stated that “any action short of this will be outside the law and could bring anarchy to an already fragile situation,” stressing that “INEC has no power under our laws to review collated results.”

Leaders of the political parties at the press conference were Edwin Ikechukwu Alor of Accord Party and State Chairman of IPAC; Innocent Ezeoha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Deputy Chairman of IPAC; Dr. Afam Ani of APP; Ken Ikeh of APM; Elvis Ugwoke of ZLP who is the Secretary General of IPAC; and Nnaemeka Oko of AAC.

Others were Stella Chukwuma of ADC; Dr. Mrs. Chinyere Madike of ADP; Louis Chiedozie Ugwu of NRM and Magnus Ezea of SDP.

The parties maintained that “the results of the 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs), including those of Nkanu East and Nsukka LGAs, were all collated by the State Returning Officer on March 19, 2023” stating that “by the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, the only other duty remaining for the State Returning Officer, who is acting on INEC’s behalf is to add up the figures, announce them, and declare the winner in line with Section 65 and 66 of the Electoral Act 2022.”

Even if PDP is allocated all votes from Obingwa, Otti still leads Abia poll —Aide

Ekeoma, Otti’s aide who addressed a press conference yesterday in Umuahia, explained that Otti according to the results declared by INEC from the 16 Local Government Areas is maintaining a comfortable lead with 92,720 votes as he polled 171,747 as against PDP’s 79,477.

He further explained that since only 26,884 voters were captured as accredited voters from Obingwa LGA according to INEC record, Otti would still win the contest even if the entire votes from Obingwa were awarded to the PDP.

Ekeoma said it was strange and imaginary for the PDP to claim to have garnered over 100,000 votes from Obingwa which recorded fewer than 27,000 accredited voters during the polls.

He further explained that the House of Assembly election which held the same day using the same accredited voters did not produce more than 27,000 voters for both state constituencies in Obingwa.

He, therefore, urged INEC to quickly declare Otti winner of the Abia governorship election without any further delay to douse the building tension across the state.

Obi charges INEC to release Abia, Enugu guber polls results

Meanwhile in a statement by the Obi-Datti Media Office, in Abuja, the LP presidential candidate frowned at the continued delay in releasing the results of both elections held on Saturday.

“Obi noted that further delay will question the commission’s intent and credibility of the election.“He said: “Having carefully followed the unfolding events relating to the Gubernatorial Elections in the above two states, let me categorically emphasize the imperative of releasing the gubernatorial election results of Abia and Enugu states immediately.

“I am aware that the Independent National Electoral Commission said they are reviewing the Collation of the Results in these two states. However, I would like to urge them to accelerate action on this as their continued delay is questioning INEC’s intent and the credibility of the Election.”

He expressed disappointment that “48 hours” after the elections were conducted, it is disheartening that the commission is yet to resolve whatever issues that are holding back the release of the results.

“The records of the elections from polling units should not be difficult to calculate if the electoral officials are committed to the integrity of the exercise in line with the stipulated guidelines,” he added.

Politics

In Defence Of Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe: The Generational Shift Reshaping Edo Politics

Published

19 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Editor

By DAN Osa-Ogbegie

For decades, Edo politics remained trapped within a narrow and predictable cycle of political recycling. The same ageing actors moved endlessly from one office to another, from one administration to the next, and from one political alignment to another, as though leadership in Edo State had become the exclusive inheritance of a permanent political aristocracy.

Meanwhile, thousands of intelligent, energetic, and capable young Edo people watched helplessly from the margins while opportunities for leadership, governance, party administration, and public service remained tightly controlled by individuals whose political relevance dated back several decades.

That unhealthy political culture is now gradually changing.

Today, one of the most important political transformations taking place within the All Progressives Congress in Edo State is the deliberate transition from recycled political gerontocracy to a younger generation of political actors. That transition is unfolding under the leadership of Senator Monday Okpebholo, Governor of Edo State and Leader of the APC in Edo State, together with the State Chairman of the party, Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe.

Predictably, such a shift has unsettled entrenched interests.

Those who became accustomed to monopolising political relevance naturally feel threatened by the emergence of a younger generation that is increasingly assertive, visible, influential, and institutionally empowered. Yet, history teaches a simple lesson: no political structure survives indefinitely without renewal.

No serious political party can continue recycling the same exhausted political machinery forever while expecting innovation, grassroots energy, modern governance ideas, and long-term political sustainability.

That reality appears to be clearly understood by Governor Monday Okpebholo and Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe.

Much of the criticism unfairly directed at Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe in recent times stems from the fact that he has become one of the visible faces of this generational transition within Edo APC. Beneath the noise, propaganda, and political bitterness lies an undeniable truth: the party is consciously opening spaces for younger people in ways not seen for many years.

From the youthful Deputy Chairman of APC in Edo State, Sylvester Aigboboh, to several younger commissioners, Special Advisers, members of the State Executive Council, board chairmen, local government administrators, and strategic appointees across government, the evidence of deliberate political renewal is becoming increasingly impossible to ignore.

In Uhunmwode Local Government Area, Hon. Austin Imafidon has emerged as one of the young faces of focused governance and grassroots administration. Beyond politics, he has already established himself successfully in business, bringing into governance the mindset of productivity, enterprise, and modern administrative engagement.

In Etsako, Hon. Sunny Ekpeson has continued to attract national attention as the youngest ALGON Chairman in Nigeria, representing a clear departure from the era where local government leadership was treated as the permanent preserve of ageing political operators disconnected from younger demographics.

In Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, Hon. Eric Osawaru represents another example of the younger political generation now entrusted with leadership responsibilities, while in Oredo Local Government Area, Engr. Gabriel Iduseri equally reflects the growing confidence being reposed in younger administrators within the APC structure.

In Owan, Hon. Aitalegbe Ernest, popularly known as “China Boy,” has also emerged as one of the prominent young political figures gaining traction as the incoming Chairman of the local government, further reinforcing the expanding generational transition currently taking shape across Edo State.

The same pattern is visible across government institutions and strategic agencies.

Pastor Stanley Dave Ighodaro, a successful entrepreneur with thriving business interests in Europe, now heads the Edo State Parks and Gardens Agency. His emergence reflects an increasingly important shift towards bringing professionally exposed and globally minded younger individuals into governance and public administration.

Similarly, Kassim Otono, who serves as Special Adviser on Oil and Gas to the Executive Governor of Edo State, represents another example of younger technocratic involvement within the present administration. His inclusion within such a strategic sector underscores the growing confidence being placed in younger professionals and politically aware technocrats within government.

This is how enduring institutions are built.

A political party that refuses to regenerate itself eventually becomes intellectually stagnant, structurally weak, and electorally disconnected from evolving social realities.

Governor Monday Okpebholo deserves commendation for recognising that governance in a rapidly changing society cannot remain permanently tied to political methods and leadership assumptions developed several decades ago. Contemporary governance demands adaptability, technological awareness, stronger grassroots engagement, administrative energy, and a deeper connection with younger populations.

Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe equally deserves credit for helping stabilise the party while managing this difficult but necessary transition process. Generational shifts are never easy within political systems historically dominated by established interests. Resistance is inevitable. Political resentment is expected. Internal anxieties naturally emerge whenever old monopolies begin to weaken.

Leadership, however, requires courage.

The recently concluded primaries further revealed this evolving direction within the APC. The emergence of candidates such as Rt. Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, Osazee Igbinovia, Dr. Emmanuel Paddy Iyamu, Omosede Igbinedion, Sir Lucky Eseigbe, and Odianosen Okojie reflects a growing political philosophy that increasingly values capacity, grassroots relevance, contemporary appeal, and generational continuity.

Equally symbolic is the emergence of several young Acting Local Government Council Chairmen who are now candidates of the party in the forthcoming local government elections. That development sends a powerful message across Edo State that political participation is gradually becoming more accessible to younger people with competence, commitment, and organisational value.

For too long, many young people in Edo politics were reduced to political spectators, social media defenders, praise singers, or election-day foot soldiers while actual power remained tightly guarded elsewhere. Such a model was never sustainable.

A society that continuously sidelines its younger generation ultimately weakens its own political future.

The ongoing transition within Edo APC does not amount to hostility towards elders or experienced political actors. Experience remains valuable. Elder statesmen still possess institutional memory and political wisdom that younger actors can benefit from immensely. Mentorship, however, must never become political suffocation. Guidance must never evolve into permanent political domination.

Every generation deserves the opportunity to participate meaningfully in shaping the future it will eventually inherit.

That is precisely why the current direction of the APC leadership in Edo State deserves objective acknowledgement rather than emotional hostility.

Many of those attacking Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe today are not truly angry about party administration. Their deeper discomfort arises from the reality that political influence is gradually shifting away from old centres of control towards a newer generation of actors who may no longer depend entirely on traditional political gatekeepers for relevance or survival.

Societies evolve.

Political cultures evolve.

Leadership itself evolves.

No generation owns political power forever.

Ultimately, the future of Edo State cannot be built exclusively around recycled political veterans whose greatest political moments belong largely to the past. A forward-looking society must continuously create room for younger leadership, newer ideas, fresh administrative energy, and modern political thinking.

That future is already unfolding within the APC in Edo State.

History may eventually remember Khalifa Jarrett Tenebe and Governor Monday Okpebholo as central figures in the difficult but necessary political transition that began moving Edo away from recycled political dominance towards a broader and younger leadership culture capable of preparing the state for a different era.

Daniel Aroren Noah Osa-Ogbegie is a Benin based legal practitioner and public intellectual from Uhunmwode Local Government Area.

Politics

JUST IN: Omo-Agege Resigns From APC

Published

19 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Editor

Former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with immediate effect.

In a letter to the Chairman of Orogun Ward 2, Ughelli North Local Government, Delta State, dated May 22, 2026, Omo-Agege said after reviewing recent developments within the ruling party and consulting with his associates and supporters, it is clear that his political objectives and those of his constituents are better served outside the party.

“I will not remain a sitting duck in a party where I cannot advance the interests of Delta Central, Delta State and Nigeria,” he said.

On Ovie Omo-Agege’s castle-in-the-air
“I thank the APC for the opportunity to serve as Deputy President of the 9th Senate. I wish the party well and have requested that my name be removed from all membership records, registers, and communication lists,” Omo-Agege added.

Omo-Agege, in a statement by his media adviser, Sunny Areh, affirmed that his focus remains on delivering development and effective representation for Delta Central, Delta State, and Nigeria. He added that he will seek to pursue these goals outside the APC.

Details shortly…

Politics

Amaechi Rejects ‘Concocted’ ADC Presidential Primary Results

Published

2 days ago

May 26, 2026

Editor

Former Minister of Transportation and presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rotimi Amaechi, has rejected the outcome of the party’s presidential primary election, describing the exercise as deeply flawed and lacking credibility.

The ADC on Monday conducted a nationwide direct primary to select its candidate for the 2027 presidential election, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, former Managing Director of the defunct FSB International Bank, and Amaechi emerging as the leading contenders.

Reacting in a statement issued on Tuesday, Amaechi alleged widespread voter disenfranchisement, manipulation and serious electoral malpractice during the exercise, insisting that the results being announced were “concocted” and did not reflect the will of party members.

According to him, the primary process was compromised from the outset, with several genuine party members allegedly denied the opportunity to participate in the election across different states.

Amaechi accused some party officials of undermining the integrity of the exercise through what he described as coordinated irregularities capable of damaging the credibility of the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He maintained that the conduct of the primary fell short of the democratic standards, transparency and fairness expected in a credible internal party election.

The former Rivers State governor called on the leadership of the ADC to urgently address the alleged irregularities and protect the democratic rights of party members.

He warned that failure to uphold transparency and internal democracy could weaken public confidence in the party and its ability to present itself as a viable alternative ahead of the next general elections.

Amaechi’s rejection of the process is expected to deepen internal tensions within the ADC as opposition realignments and political calculations ahead of 2027 continue to gather momentum.