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APC Accuses Obaseki, PDP of Jittery, Arsonist Tendencies As Ize-Iyamu’s Billboards Vandalized In Benin

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… We Have No Hands In Your Woes – PDP

The Edo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress has strongly condemned alleged vandalism of its outdoor billboards and campaign posters by the Edo State Government, decrying the move as ‘an egregious escalation of abuse of office and disregard for the law’ by the Obaseki-led government.

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In a press conference in Benin on Saturday, July 18, the Vice Chairman on Media and Publicity of the APC National Campaign Council, Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, alleged that the Edo State Government embarked on the destruction and removal of its billboards at various strategic points in the capital city of Benin on Thursday, 16th of July, 2020.

Hon. Obahiagbon accused incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki of heating up the polity ahead of the polls with “reckless and provocative comments, media blackmail, and criminal actions of intolerance including the mass destruction of opponent’s campaign materials.”

READ ALSO: Obaseki’s Endorsement: Fringe Party Doing So In Exchange For Cash – APC

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He said, “This unfortunate and criminal action took flight on Thursday, the 16th of July 2020, when the Edo State Government expressly directed one Mr. Dave Giwa Amu who is parading himself as the Managing Director of the Edo State Signage and Advertising Agency to commence the immediate removal and destruction of our billboards.

“It is pertinent to note that these outdoor billboards and indeed other campaign materials were duly paid for, designed and erected in full compliance with all legal requirements.

“Furthermore, the Edo State Signage and Advertising Agency, purportedly led by the so-called Mr. Dave Giwa Amu, an avowed supporter of the incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki, is an agency that is yet to receive the assent of the Edo House of Assembly.

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“In essence, this agency, as of today, is unknown to the laws of Edo State and is visibly being weaponized by the State Government, an interested party in the election, to give itself an illegal, unfair, unethical, fraudulent advantage as we approach the polls.”

READ ALSO: APC Queries Obaseki’s Readiness To Tackle Flooding In Edo As NEMA Calls For Proactive Measures

Hon. Obahiagbon described the alleged move of the Edo State Government as a new low and disclosed that the party, APC, has since forwarded a petition to the Commissioner of Police and INEC because it is convinced that the “act of intolerance, carried out with impunity, foreshadows what the Edo State Government has in store for the Edo voters and its supporters in the September 19 election.”

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In the same vein, the Chairman of the State Media Campaign Council’s Sub-Committee on Outdoor Advert, Hon Chris Azebamwan, described the act quite shameful for a government that parades itself as civilized, driven by order and decorum.

However, reacting to the allegations, Chris Nehikhare, State PDP publicity secretary said neither his party nor Obaseki has hands in the damaged billboards.

Nehikhare noted that the PDP and Edo State Government cannot be blackmailed or distracted by “these baseless allegations and besides, Edo people are too politically sophisticated to fall for this scam!”

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READ ALSO: NRC Committed To Rescuing Edo From Political Captors – National Chair

He said, “We will concentrate on our agenda of Resetting Edo for a better and brighter tomorrow and not loose sleep over the rantings of a political ant the APC has become.

“Let me make it categorically clear that PDP or the State Government have no hands in the destruction or damage to billboard posted by APC. We condemn the act!”

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More Than Half Of world’s Poor In Africa – Economist

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Chief Economist, Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Hanan Morsy, said Africa accounts for more than half of the world’s poor.

Morsy gave the figure on Monday at the 55th session of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

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The official noted that the continent faced a tsunami of global shocks that have exacerbated existing socio-economic operation and equity.

READ ALSO: Angry Delta Youths Chase Rep Away From Community Over Poor Performance

“Africa, as a result of these shocks, currently accounts for more than half of the world’s poverty at 54.8 per cent,” the economist hinted.

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Morsy said an estimated 548 million Africans lived in poverty in 2022, while 149 million more at risk of falling into poverty.

She observed a skewed distribution across the continent in terms of concentration of underlying issues, with East and West Africa having a higher share of poverty.

Morsy called for inclusive macroeconomic policies such as targeted and efficient spending, and resilience to future shocks at the household and community level.

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READ ALSO: 133m Poor Nigerians: Buhari Dragged To Court Over Failure To Probe Spending On ‘Social Intervention Programmes’

The ECA chief, however, urged African governments to enhance resource mobilisation, including closing tax loopholes.

Africa loses 40 to 60 billion dollars annually in tax evasion. There’s also funding that can be raised through tackling issues of illicit financial flows,’’ she said.

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Abia Guber Poll: Otti Wins In 10 LGAs, PDP 5

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Alex Otti of the Labour Party has won a total of 10 out of the 16 Local Government Area results so far declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, before the commission suspended collation of the Abia governorship election.

Otti polled a total of 171,747 votes while Okey Ahiwe of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, scored a total of 79,477 votes after winning five LGAs.

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Young Peoples Party, YPP polled 8,839 to win Osisioma LGA the home of its governorship candidate, Enyinnaya Nwafor.

Meanwhile, INEC, has directed the immediate suspension of collation of governorship election results in Abia State.

Administrative Secretary of INEC, Abia State, Chief Clement Oha read the directive midway into collation at the INEC office in Umuahia on Monday.

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He said that based on the alleged irregularities by in some polling units particularly Obingwa Local Government Area where INEC office was invaded, collation had been halted at the LGA.

According to him, there will be no further collation of results at Obingwa until INEC Commissioners arrive from Abuja by Tuesday to supervise the collation and take decision on what has to be done after reviewing the situation on ground.

The Presiding Officer and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri, FUTO, Professor Nnenna Oti had in the course of collation brought in the Administrative Secretary to read the message she said that came from the INEC headquarters Abuja.

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She had said that the INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, personally called her and gave her directives on guidelines to follow in ensuring that Abia governorship election results were collated based on the extant guidelines.

READ ALSO: Why We Suspended Collation Of Guber Results In Abia – INEC

Professor Otti thereafter, announced the immediate suspension of collation pending the arrival of the team from Abuja.

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She had earlier vowed to the neutral but strictly objective in discharging her duties.

Professor Otti who is also a Pastor with the Redeemed Church, assured that the will of Abia voters would not be subverted under her watch.

”I’m Professor Nnenna Oti from Afikpo, VC of FUTO. The people’s mandate shall stand.

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“I have spent all my adult life in pursuit of the ideals of good governance. We shall stand by the these principles.

”The pastor in me and the mother in me will not permit me to do anything that will adversely affect the future of our children. I shall do right by God and by man!”

Meanwhile INEC in another statement signed by its Head Voter Education and Information Committee, Festus Okoye, announced suspension of collation of governorship election results in Abia and Enugu States.

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INEC in the statement, cited alleged cases of violence, irregularities and invasion of its offices in the affected states as reason for the action.

According to a statement, the commission will review results in the affected LGAs before further action.

READ ALSO: INEC Suspends Collation Of Guber Election Results In Abia, Enugu

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But Alex Otti of the Labour Party is already leading in the 12 LGAs so far declared.

Below is a full text of the statement.

“SUSPENSION OF FURTHER COLLATION OF GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION RESULTS IN ABIA AND ENUGU STATES

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Below is a full text of the statement entitled ” Suspension of Further Collation of Governorship Election Results in Abia and Enugu”:

“The Commission met today, Monday 20th March 2023 and reviewed the conduct of the Governorship and State Assembly elections held nationwide on Saturday 18th March 2023. Arising from the meeting, the Commission took the decision to suspend forthwith further collation of the Governorship election results in some parts of Abia and Enugu States.

“It will be recalled that our office in Obingwa Local Government Area was invaded by thugs yesterday Sunday 19th March 2023 and our officials held hostage in relation to the collation of results from the Local Government Area. Similarly, reports from Enugu State call for a review of the results for the Governorship election from the two outstanding Local Government Areas of Nsukka and Nkanu East.

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“Consequently, the Commission hereby suspends the collation of results in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State and the two outstanding Local Government Areas of Enugu State which are yet to be collated. A review will be undertaken immediately before the process is concluded.

“We appeal for the understanding and patience of voters, parties and candidates in the affected States.”

Meanwhile, Dr Alex Otti has maintained a comfortable lead in the 16 Local Government Area results so far declared.

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He won five LGAs out of 10 that was declared on Sunday, and collected another five out of the six LGAs announced on Monday, thus bringing the total number of LGAs under his kitty to 10.

Young Peoples Party, YPP won in one LGA while PDP has five LGAs.

According to the results of the 16 LGAs declared so far, Otti polled a total of 171,747 votes, while Ahiwe of the PDP trailed behind with 79,477 votes.

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In the results declared on Monday, YPP polled 8,839 to win Osisioma LGA the home of its governorship candidate, Enyinnaya Nwafor.

Labour Party came second in Osisioma after polling 7,032 votes while PDP got 4,699 votes.

APC, APGA and ADC scored 504, 292, and 332 respectively.

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LP swept Umuahia North the seat of Abia power with 27,668 while APC whose candidate, Chief Ikechi Emenike who hails from the area, came second with 7,225 votes.

PDP got 4,843 votes while APGA and ADC polled 1,816 and 457 respectively.

READ ALSO: Alex Otti Coasts To Victory In Abia Guber Poll

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Similarly, LP cleared Aba South with 22,014 votes while PDP crawled behind with 3,348 votes; and APGA, 1,762 votes.

The Labour Party continued its winning spree at Aba North where it polled 20,974 votes while the ruling PDP managed to get away with only 4,146.

YPP scored 2,296; while APGA got 1,404 votes.

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LP also swept Ohafia LGA with 11,848 votes against PDP’s 4, 128 votes.

APC and APGA got 1,354 and 945 votes respectively.

The Labour Party still cleared Umuahia South with 16,187 votes while PDP got 5,464 votes.

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Falz Reacts To Sanwo-Olu’s appreciation Post

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Famous Nigerian singer, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz the bad guy, has reacted to the Lagos State re-elected Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s appreciation post.

Governor Sanwo-Olu had on Monday, in a post shared on his official Twitter handle, appreciated Lagosians for believing in him.

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He wrote: ”I’m deeply humbled and grateful for the overwhelming support and trust of the good people of Lagos State. I’m honoured to be re-elected as your governor and pledge to continue to work tirelessly to deliver a better Lagos for all. Thank you for believing in me.”

READ ALSO: Lagos Governorship Election: Sanwo-Olu Speaks After Victory

Reacting to this, Falz, who quoted the tweet, said everyone had seen the electoral irregularities unfold and Sanwo-Olu was only deceiving himself.

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You were not re-elected. You selected yourself. Everybody saw it unfold. You are only deceiving yourselves,” he said.

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