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BREAKING: Fire Guts INEC Headquarters In Ondo
Published
4 years agoon
By
Editor
BARELY one month to the governorship election in Ondo State, Fire, Thursday night gutted the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the state, destroying Smart Card Readers.
Though cause of the inferno was unknown as of the time of filing this report, it was gathered that the fire also destroyed some items in a section of the office.
When one of newsmen visited the scene, security operatives cordoned off the premises.
READ ALSO: Edo Guber: Violence Will Escalate COVID-19, INEC Warns
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, confirmed the incident in a short statement titled ‘Fire at INEC office in Akure’.
He noted that the commission would commence an immediate investigation into the cause of the fire
He said, “Fire broke out today (Thursday) September 10, 2020, at the Ondo State Head Office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Akure.
READ ALSO: Ondo Deputy Governor Dumps PDP, Set To Defect To ZLP
The inferno, which gutted the container housing Smart Card Readers, started at 7.30 pm. Men of the Fire Service are however currently containing the fire.
“INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, who is in Ondo State in connection with preparations for the Ondo State Governorship election scheduled for October 10, 2020, rushed to the office about 8 pm.
“The Administrative Secretary of the State, Mr. Popoola, and some staff of the commission are also there.
READ ALSO: Cracks In Ondo PDP As Five Governors Back Ajayi’s ZLP Move
“Okoye said an investigation into the cause of the fire will commence promptly after the fire has been contained.”
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Ondo Poll: Aspirants Disagree With Committee, Fault Process, Call For Cancellation
Published
26 mins agoon
April 20, 2024By
EditorAs the primary of the All Progressives Congress is ongoing, some of the stakeholders in the election have been crying foul over how the election committee handled the electoral process.
The aggrieved party members alleged that the committee which was headed by the Kogi State Governor, Mr Usman Ododo, was biased in the assignment.
Ododo, who arrived in the state on Saturday morning, addressed some of the aggrieved stakeholders at the distribution centre in the Ijapo area of Akure, saying the electoral materials had been sent to the Ondo South and South-North Senatorial Districts remaining that of the Ondo Central (as at 10.30 am).
“There was no issue, I just came this (Saturday) morning and I was told that the election materials have been taken to Ondo South and Ondo North Senatorial Districts, ” the committee chairman stated.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Ondo Poll: Violence Breaks Out At APC Primary In Okitipupa
But one of the aspirants, Gbenga Edema disagreed with the governor, saying no election materials were taken to anywhere.
He said, “I have been here since 6.30 am and I didn’t see any material taken out of this place. The returning officers and electoral officers of my ward, Mahin Ward 2 in Ilaje Local Government are here and unable to collect any materials.
“What we are asking for is a credible election. So, we are asking the leadership of the party to look into this. If they’re not ready for this election, they should postpone it and the right thing should be done.”
Similarly , the programme officer of the Wale Akinterinwa Campaign Organisation, Sola Arowosafe, demanded the cancellation of the whole exercise, alleging that the primary election committee was not fair with the process.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Hoodlums Storm Voting Venues Of Ondo APC Primary Election [VIDEO]
Ajisafe said, “For APC to bring Ododo to Ondo state is a low to our party and state, and position is that no primary election has taken place, no election materials have left here, and we are saying that the leadership of the party should do the needful by sending another neutral person, just like they did in Edo state to come and conduct another primary election where the good people of Ondo state will freely exercise their franchise to pick their candidate.”
“If the leadership of the party failed to do the needful, then there is a way we will react and we are going to react accordingly. If any results are announced, we are telling the leadership of the party including President Bola Tinubu that no election took place in Ondo state, and no materials were distributed for us to pick our preferred candidate.”
READ ALSO: Former Arsenal Chairman, Keswick Is Dead
The media aide to an aspirant, Chief Olusola Oke, Mr Rotimi Ogunleye, also said the committee failed to follow the guidelines of the election.
“We got here around 6:30 am, we don’t know when and where the election materials were sent out from this place to Ondo South and North senatorial districts, the truth of the matter is that there were no materials sent out.
“Why can’t they follow the due process? The national leadership of the party should call Ododo to order, they should follow the guidelines they released,” Ogunleye demanded.
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JUST IN: Ondo Poll: Violence Breaks Out At APC Primary In Okitipupa
Published
44 mins agoon
April 20, 2024By
EditorViolence broke out at Ward 1 at Stella Maris College, Okitipupa, between rival supporters of two aspirants of the All Progressives Congress who are contesting to be the party’s candidate for the November 16, Ondo State Governorship election.
Accredited party members, who had gathered in large numbers to participate in the candidate selection process, fled the scene when violence erupted among the rival factions.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the accreditation and election process had not begun when the violence erupted as voters scampered for safety.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Hoodlums Storm Voting Venues Of Ondo APC Primary Election [VIDEO]
One of the accredited voters, who preferred anonymity, told NAN that one of the agents of an aspirant came to the ward, snatched the validation and accreditation papers and ran away.
“One of the agents came here, snatched the validation and accreditation papers and fled the venue in his car.
“They chased him, but could not catch him. This caused the violence,” he said.
The security agents at the ward were unable to contain the violence and everyone fled the scene.
The Federal Government has announced plans to pin down Ways and Means advances to address the issue of excessive liquidity in the system and combat inflation.
The Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, made this announcement in Washington DC after meeting with investors during the ongoing spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
In February, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, stated that the bank would cease providing Ways and Means advances to the federal government until all outstanding debts are repaid.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Nigeria’s Inflation Hit 31.70% In February – NBS
However, Edun said the fiscal and monetary authorities are also working towards bringing down inflation.
“The two authorities are working hand in hand to bring down inflation and pressure on price stability and stabilising the exchange rate with the target of bringing down interest rates so that investors can borrow at a more affordable rate with a view to getting the economy going the right direction again,” Edun said.
“We need to borrow less and focus more on domestic resource mobilisation. We want long-term resources to avoid repayment and refinancing pressures.”
READ ALSO: African Immigrants Struggle To Pay Bills In UK As inflation Soars – Report
Speaking further, the minister stated that the current administration is addressing food security by prioritising farmers’ access to their land, particularly in areas where insecurity has significantly hindered food production.
Edun added that agro clusters are being developed in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to increase food production in the country.
Ondo Poll: Aspirants Disagree With Committee, Fault Process, Call For Cancellation
JUST IN: Ondo Poll: Violence Breaks Out At APC Primary In Okitipupa
FG To Pin Down Ways And Means To Tackle Inflation
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