News
CSOs, Media Meet, Review Edo Election, Yiaga Insists Poll Failed Integrity Test

…Politicians Reviving Old Election Fraud Tactics – Yiaga
By Joseph Ebi Kanjo|Benin
Civil Society Organisations and media practitioners on Monday met in Benin City to review the just concluded Edo State governorship election.
The meeting, convened by Yiaga Africa, a leading election monitoring civil society organisation, was aimed at evaluating the outcome of the election and for CSO observation groups and media to air their observation while in the field during the election.
In his opening remarks, Paul James, Programme Manager Election, said Yiaga Africa observers who were in the field observed that politicians have devised old election fraud tactics, insisting that Yiaga still maintained its earlier position that the Edo State governorship election failed the integrity test.
According to the Programme Manager, based on reports from 287 of 300 sampled polling units, which represents 96%, Yiaga Africa’s statistical analysis shows inconsistencies in the official results announced by INEC.
He said: “We stand by our earlier position that the results of the elections were manipulated. The major parties that participated all benefited, but one party benefited more. I repeat, Yiaga Africa concludes that the 2024 Edo governorship election fails the electoral integrity test due to lack of transparency in the results collation process, which led to the manipulation of results.
READ ALSO: #EdoDecides: APC, PDP Agents Seen Bribing Voters – Yiaga
“While key processes such as accreditation, voting, counting, and recording of results at the polling units substantially complied with the procedures, the results collation process was compromised by the actions of some biased INEC officials in connivance with other actors. This manipulation severely undermines the overall integrity of the election.”

He continued: “The incidents of results manipulation and disruptions during ward and local government collation in Ikpoba-Okha, Etsako West, Egor and Oredo LGAs, including intimidation of INEC officials, observers and party agents and the collation of results contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines, severely undermines the credibility of the election results.”
He added: “For instance, the official results announced by INEC for APC in Oredo and Egor, LGAs fall outside estimate. Also, in Oredo LGA, the official results as announced for LP fall outside the PRVT estimate. These inconsistencies with Yiaga Africa’s PRVT estimates indicate that the results were altered at the level collation.
“The disparities between the official results released by INEC and Yiaga Africa’s PRVT estimates indicate manipulation of results during the collation process.”
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According to Paul, “Politicians are reviving old methods of electoral manipulation, including altering results at collation centres, deliberate disruptions by security forces, and using pre-filled results sheets before voting.”
He emphasised the need for election stakeholders, particularly INEC and security agencies, to be held to higher standards, warning that political interference with INEC operations would continue to threaten the integrity of future elections.
He called for the “immediate investigation and prosecution of polling officials and collation officers who are engaged in results manipulation and flagrant violations of the guidelines on results collation.”
He added: “Yiaga Africa calls on INEC to urgently clarify the inconsistencies in some of the results, especially election results from Oredo, Egor, Esan West and LGAs. INEC should issue detailed guidelines for exercising its powers to review
declarations and returns made contrary to provisions of the Electoral Act and regulations and guidelines. This should include procedures for receiving complaints, timeframe, format and who is eligible to submit complaints.”
READ ALSO: Elections: Imo, Rivers, Others Results Manipulated, Says CSO, Yiaga Africa
He continued: “It is imperative to integrate the IReV and electronic transmission of results into the electoral legal framework to confer legality on polling unit level results uploaded on the portal. To this end, the National Assembly should expeditiously amend the Electoral Act to make electronic transmission of results mandatory.”
On his part, Rev. Fr. Benedict Onwugbenu, Executive Director, Justice Development and Peace Centre (JDPC) Benin, alluded to Yiaga Africa’s claim, stressing that “INEC was not sincere with the election, and that vote buying was prevalent across board, with security personnel comprising in the face of boat buying.”
Also contributing, Blessed Jatt, Executive Director, Kadosh Initiative for Justice and Environmental Development, said “technology must be employed in real time to fight fraud in elections. It is high time CSOs like Yiaga look for technology to upload election results in real time.”
The civil society groups and media practitioners, therefore, called for the full implementation of Section 2 of the Electoral Act, among others.
News
UNIMAID, Federal Polytechnic Matriculate 82 Degree Students

University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) in affiliation with the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi has matriculated 82 students into the degree programmes across five courses.
Speaking during the matriculation ceremony at the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi on Tuesday, Professor Muhammad Laminu Mele, the Vice chancellor, University of Maiduguri, charged the matriculated students to strictly adhere to the rules and regulations guiding the two institutions to enable them achieve the set objectives.
The VC, who was represented by Professor Muhammad Ahmad Waziri, Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Services, warned that any student or group of students trying to breach the peace of the two institutions would face the full wrath of the law.
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The Don further assured that the University and its affiliated institutions would continue to make easy access to higher quality education to the teeming population across the country.
In a remark, the Rector of the Polytechnic, Alhaji Sani Usman, said they were affiliated with the university to pursue academic excellence, describing the affiliation as a huge pillar in the education reforms.
READ ALSO:Bauchi Govt, UNICEF Strengthen Education Platforms To Improve Learning Outcomes
The Rector, who was also represented by Dr. Dalhatu Saidu, the Deputy Rector of the Polymeric, commended the university of Maiduguri for not only improving the UNIMAID’s conducive learning environment but expanding the horizon to different higher institutions of learning across Nigeria.
He therefore advised the newly matriculated students to pursue knowledge, to interact freely with the Polytechnic staff, be vigilant and be a brother’s keeper, adding that this would help to achieve the desired objectives.
The affiliated courses included BSc Mass Communication, BSc Accountancy, BSc Public Administration, BSc Business Administration and BSc Banking and Finance respectively.
News
Trouble Looms As Egbesu Group Drags FG To Court Over Resource Control, Others

Group known as Supreme Egbesu Assembly (SEA) has dragged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to a Federal High Court, Yenagoa, over failure to create additional 24 Local government councils in Bayelsa State as the need for Ijaw to control natural resources in its territory.
The Originating Summons marked: FHC/YNA/CS/63/2026 was filed on Tuesday April 21, 2026 by the plaintiffs including; Felix Tuodolo, Weri Digifa, Ebi Waribigha, Kabowei Akamade, Rosebella Jackson, Thomas Jacklloyd, Primrose Kpokposei, David Imole and Welman Warri at the Federal High Court Yenagoa.
Joined as defendants in the suit are the National Assembly, the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Attorney General of the Federation.
In the court documents, the Egbesu Assembly premised their action on the alleged failure of the federal government particularly the National Assembly to deliberate, approve and amend the relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
This, according to them, is to allow for resource control as well as the creation of additional LGAs in the state to fulfil the requirements in line with the Constitution.
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The group is therefore seeking, among others, the amendment of the constitution by the National Assembly to allow for the right to resource control.
The Supreme Egbesu Assembly described the suit action as a promise kept.
Mranwh, In a press statement announcing the institution of the lawsuit on Tuesday, the Egbesu Assembly recalled that, on 12th February 2026, it wrote to both the Federal Government and the National Assembly wherein its gave a 21-Day ultimatum for the duo to respond to the age-long demands for resource control and creation of additional LGAs or face a lawsuit.
The statement partly reads: “Recall that on 12th February 2026, we did inform you that we have written to the National Assembly and the federal government on the need for the creation of an additional 24 Local Government Areas in Bayelsa State as well as the control of our God-given natural resources in Ijaw territory.
“We promised that if the National Assembly and or federal government did not respond to these age-long demands, we were going to seek legal actions to address our demands.
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“We gave a time frame of twenty-one days for them to respond to us—we got no response!
“Today the Supreme Egbesu Assembly (SEA) has kept to its promise.
“We instituted an action at the Federal High Court Yenagoa against the National Assembly and the Federal Government after the expiration of the 21 days. Today we were in court for the first hearing of both cases.”
According to the group, creation of additional local government areas for Bayelsa is as old as the creation of the State itself.
The SEA maintained that “there is nowhere in any democracy where a state is limited to just 8 LGAs: more pathetic is the fact that Bayelsa State is an oil bearing State.
“Bayelsa State presently has twenty four Rural Development Authorities (RDA) which can be easily converted to Local Government areas thereby making the State eligible to participate in the sharing of allocation and the development of their areas for the purpose of justice and equity.
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“Gentlemen, we wish to inform you that our suit on Resource Control is a revival of our age long agitation.”
The group further stated that Nigeria can no longer operate a system where contributors to the national coffers are not in charge of their resources.
The group added that the lawsuit is therefore for the Ijaw people.
“The Ijaw Nation must be free from all economic strangulation carried out against them by successive Governments,” they added.
The SEA called on all Ijaws to be steadfast and resolute, and continue to support the process by attending all court sessions, stating that “your solidarity is very vital at this point of time in our history. “
The group also called on other Ijaw organizations, communities, Niger Delta people, organizations and all people of goodwill “to join in the march to control and manage our despoiled and mismanaged natural resources.”
News
BREAKING: Tinubu Sacks Wale Edun, Dangiwa As Ministers

President Bola Tinubu has approved a minor reshuffle of the Federal Executive Council, removing the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, from their cabinet positions.
Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yomi Odunuga, said the development was contained in a memo signed by the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
According to the memo, Taiwo Oyedele has been appointed as the new Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.
Also appointed is Dr. Muttaqha Darma as Minister-designate for Housing and Urban Development.
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The memo directed the outgoing ministers to complete handover processes to their respective successors or supervising officials.
It stated that all handing over and taking over activities must be concluded on or before the close of business on Thursday, 23rd April, 2026.
Explaining the decision, Akume said the changes were aimed at improving coordination and strengthening delivery across key sectors of the economy under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“These changes are aimed at strengthening cohesion, synergy in governance as well as achieving more impactful delivery on the economy to Nigerians, through the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Akume stated.
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He added that President Tinubu acted in line with his constitutional powers as provided under Sections 147 and 148 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The SGF also conveyed the President’s appreciation to the outgoing ministers for their service to the nation and wished them well in their future endeavours, noting that the process of cabinet reinvigoration would remain continuous.
The statement further noted that Taiwo Oyedele was appointed as Minister of State for Finance in March 2026, while Edun was among the ministers appointed on August 16, 2023.
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