News

Bayelsa Election Tribunal Fixes Date For Final Addresses

Published

2 years ago

March 15, 2024

The Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja has fixed April 22 for the adoption of final addresses on the state governorship election petition.

The tribunal also directed parties involved in the matter to file and exchange their processes before the adjourned date.

The PUNCH reports that once final addresses are adopted in a case, the next stage is the delivery of judgment on the matter.

The All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, approached the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the November 2023 governorship poll which produced Douye Diri as the winner of the election.

The tribunal led by Justice Adekunle Adeleye-led three-member tribunal scheduled the matter for the adoption of addresses, after Diri, his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, and the Peoples Democratic Party closed their defence.

Diri’s witness, the Secretary of the PDP in Bayelsa, Gesiye Isowo, tendered the official result of the election as well as the final declaration of the result, which were contained in INEC’s forms EC8D and EC8E among others.

While being cross-examined by counsel for the petitioners, Sylvester Elema( SAN), the witness told the tribunal that he registered and voted at Unit 9, Ward 10 in Kolokuma/Okpokuma Local Government Area.

He said, “There was restriction of movement on the day of the election. I did not go to Nembe, Ogbia, and Southern Ijaw because of the restriction, but I had agents in all the polling units. I was in constant touch with my agents in all the LGAs. ”

Asked if it was true that the National and State Assembly elections were held in the state in February and March 2023, the witness said he was in court only with respect to the governorship election.

“I am not INEC. If you ask about my party’s primary, then I should know,” he said.

The petitioners had contended that voter registers that were tendered in evidence and marked as Exhibits R1- R19 by the tribunal were only used for the National Assembly election and not the governorship poll.

However, in his evidence, the witness insisted that the registers were used for the governorship poll.

The petitioners, however, opposed the admissibility of the register, adding that the register was not given to them before hand as directed by the tribunal.

On their part, the respondents urged the tribunal to disregard the objection and admit the exhibit as it was relevant to the case.

The witness also told the tribunal that some of the voter registers were not ticked because elections were not held in those areas.

The witness insisted that INEC discharged its function creditably by conducting the election in compliance with provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and Electoral Act 2022, adding however that there was wilful resistance to the use of BVAS by the APC and its agents.

He told the tribunal that in various wards in Nembe LGA, no vote was recorded, indicating that the election was not held there.

The witness noted that contrary to what the petitioners produced before the tribunal, pink copies of results were not given to agents of political parties or security agencies.

“Pink copies are only for INEC,” he insisted.

He further told the court that voters registered for areas where the APC produced election results, were not ticked and no vote was recorded there.

The deputy governor, Ewhrudjakpo, produced a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Gowon Toruyouyei as his witness.

While being cross-examined, the witness confirmed that the deputy governor is a legal practitioner whose Call to Bar certificate was listed in INEC’s form.

Asked if, in all his interactions with the third respondent, he could be described as an illiterate, the witness, said, “He could not have been an illiterate. He is very educated.

“I will describe him as someone that has the requisite experience and qualification to be elected into any office in the country.”

In its defence, the PDP brought a former Attorney General of Bayelsa State, Talford Ongolo, as its witness.

He maintained that Sylva could not have been validly sponsored for the election by the APC, having already been elected as governor twice.

“I worked as the DG of his campaign at one time, so all these facts are within my knowledge,” he added

The witness said he was not present at Ogbia and Nembe LGAs on the election day, “but virtually, I was there.”

He told the tribunal that those whose names were not ticked on the register did not vote on the election day.

“It is a standard procedure that once you vote, your name is ticked,” the witness added.

Despite objection by the petitioners, a certified copy of the voter’s register containing the name of the witness was admitted in evidence by the tribunal.

News

Foundation Holds School Debate In Benin To Address Negative Narrative About Education

Published

8 hours ago

November 19, 2025

Editor

Osahon Enabulele Foundation, (DOEF), has given reason for organising interschool secondary schools debate in Edo State, saying it was “conceived to tackle the negative narrative surrounding the value of education among the younger generation.”

The Director—General of the foundation, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, stated this at the grand finale of the maiden edition of the debate held in Benin on Wednesday.

The competition, titled: “If education is a scam or not” was informed by the social-economic reality with students demonstrating impressive intellectual competition and depth.

Enabulele stressed that the debate was aimed at promoting intellectual development, encouraging civic engagement and public speaking, and fostering leadership qualities and critical thinking.

He added that the foundation, established nine months ago, was driven by strategic pillars that include leadership and governance, health, education, policy advocacy and social philanthropy.

According to him, many young people are becoming disillusioned by society’s “defective role modelling” and the “unfortunate reward for individuals with questionable sources of wealth,”

He said, “The debate is totally driven by the Foundation as a deliberate interventionist initiative that seeks to reverse the worrisome negative narrative about education, particularly amongst our upcoming generations, including our youths who are increasingly becoming victims of our society’s defective role modelling and unfortunate reward for individuals with very questionable sources of wealth, with leadership and societal positions. Our younger ones are truly becoming disillusioned as a result of these inanities.

“Some no longer think it is worthwhile to acquire education or task their brains in any way. This debate initiative is therefore our Foundation’s committed efforts to contribute to the reversal of this worrisome trend and mindset affliction.”

The interschool debate saw Eghosa Grammar School clinching the N1m star prize while other winners were also presented with a certificate of participation, books and other sundry items.

The outstanding speakers during the debate also went home with cash prizes ranging from N100,000 to N200, 000.

News

Trump’s Military Threat: ‘Poor Man Is Already A Sinner’ – Shehu Sani

Published

10 hours ago

November 19, 2025

Editor

Former lawmaker, Shehu Sani, has criticised United States President Donald Trump’s approach to global relations, alleging a double standard in the way he engages with different regions of the world.

In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, Sani said Trump had secured a trillion-dollar deal from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and consistently defended the kingdom, while raising issues of human rights, terrorism and religious persecution only when dealing with African leaders.

According to him, no African, European or Latin American nation could offer Trump the kind of financial leverage that oil-rich Arab states provide.

Sani’s remarks come amid Trump’s recent threat of military action in Nigeria over allegations of Christian genocide.

The former lawmaker argued that in a materially driven world, “a poor man is already a sinner,” suggesting that economic power continues to shape international attitudes and interventions.

He wrote: “Mr Trump got a deal of a trillion dollar from Bin Salman and defended everything about Saudi Arabia. No African, European or Latin American country can give him that.

“When they are talking with oil rich Arab countries, issues of human rights, executions, terrorism and religion doesn’t come up, until they meet with African leaders and start asking them where they learned ‘how to speak English’. In a material World, a poor man is already a sinner.”

News

Why Nigerians Are Not Feeling Inflation Drop – Economists

Published

10 hours ago

November 19, 2025

Editor

Despite Nigeria recording its seventh consecutive month of disinflation, economists and financial analysts have raised concerns that the easing inflation trend has brought little or no relief to Nigerians and households already overwhelmed by high living costs and economic hardship.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that headline inflation slowed to 16.05 per cent in October 2025, down from 18.02 per cent in September, one of the strongest single-month declines this year.

Food inflation also moderated to 13.12 per cent, compared to 16.9 per cent in the previous month.

But economists and analysts insist the improved figures do not reflect the economic reality facing millions of Nigerians.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr Muda Yusuf, said the gains from the latest figures have not translated into real cost-of-living relief because price pressures remain elevated across essential sectors.

“Inflationary pressures remain elevated in critical household sectors—including food, transportation, housing, utilities, education, and health—which jointly account for 84 percent of inflation,” Yusuf noted.

He attributed the limited impact of disinflation to persistent structural challenges such as high logistics costs, energy constraints, insecurity in food-producing regions and climate-related disruptions that continue to suppress supply.

According to him, “the full welfare benefits are yet to be sufficiently felt by households due to persistent structural constraints.”

Yusuf advised that deeper and sustained reforms across key sectors—supported by coordinated monetary, fiscal and structural policies—are necessary to turn statistical improvements into real economic progress.

‘NBS Inflation Figures Are Flawed’ — Former CIBN President, Okechukwu

In an interview with DAILY POST, Mazi Okechukwu Unegbu, former President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), said the October inflation report is detached from the real-life experience of Nigerians.

Unegbu insisted the country’s true inflation rate is significantly higher than official figures suggest.

“The inflation figure by the National Bureau of Statistics is flawed because it does not reflect reality. In real terms, the country’s inflation is as high as 29 percent,” he said.

He argued that the persistent rise in the cost of food, rent, transportation, fuel, and other essentials shows that the declining inflation rate “does not make sense” to the average Nigerian.

Why Nigerians Still Feel No Relief — Oyedokun

An economist and a university don, Prof Godwin Oyedokun, said most Nigerians feel no impact from the inflation slowdown because the structural drivers of the cost-of-living crisis remain intact.

He outlined six reasons why Nigerians are yet to feel the impact of inflation: “Prices are still rising— just more slowly- A drop in inflation does not mean prices are falling. Nigerians are still paying historically high amounts for food, transport, energy and rent.

“Incomes remain stagnant- Wages, pensions and SME earnings have failed to keep up with inflation for two years, weakening purchasing power.

“Key cost drivers remain unresolved- Exchange-rate volatility, high energy costs, logistics inefficiencies, insecurity in food belts and elevated interest rates continue to fuel price increases.

Inflation expectations are still high- Businesses expect prices to rise further and therefore adjust prices upward in advance.

“State-to-state variations distort relief- Some states still record much higher food and transportation inflation than the national average.

“Poverty levels overshadow economic data- With high unemployment and widespread poverty, even a slowdown in inflation does little to improve household welfare.”

Prof. Oyedokun concluded that “Nigerians have yet to feel any relief because the level of prices— not just the rate of change— remains painfully high, and the structural conditions driving hardship persist.”