News

Edo 2020: PDP Planning To Buy Each PVC At N250,000 APC Alleges

Published

5 years ago

September 10, 2020

Editor

APC Staring Defeat In The Face, Resorts To Fake News Peddlers – PDP

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State says it has uncovered ploy by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to rig the September 19 governorship election.

The party also disclosed that it has reports on the governor’s plans to use the state’s liaison office as a front for illegal trade in permanent voters cards.

The Director-General of APC Campaign Council said, “They plan to manipulate the election process to their favour by rigging and presenting false voters. Under the guise of assisting intending voters with transportation, the governor has released the sum of ₦250m to the Edo Liaison Office, Abuja to induce voters living in Abuja and also buy the PVCs of those who will not be able to attend at ₦200,000 per PVC.

“In executing this ploy, the Abuja Liaison office has sent out notices to platforms of Edo Indigenes in Abuja, inviting them to come with their PVCs to the office from Friday 4th September to Friday 11th September, 2020.

“This practice is contrary to the Electoral Act and part of a clear template to rig the forth coming Edo State governorship elections. The APC is hereby calling on INEC and the relevant security agencies to investigate this desperate act by the Edo State Governor and his agents with a view of nipping it in the bud.”

Meanwhile, the party alleged that the training by Independent National Electoral Commission of volunteer officers currently going on in Esan South East where Mrs Magdalene Ohenhen, a Special Adviser to the Governor comes from has been compromised.

The APC further revealed that there were many people they discovered, who came to work for PDP from outside Edo State.

“One of our observers told us that she has interviewed some of them and they disclosed that they are from Kogi, Igbo land, Rivers, and some places across the River Niger opposite Illushi community. Some of them were paid to do so because they spoke the same language and had the same name, which would make it difficult to notice them. They are all there in the same hall with legally accredited officials and they are training on how to rig the election on the 19th September. We implore all true sons of Edo to stay vigilant and not allow any person from outside the state come and steal our mandate,” the APC said.

Reacting, PDP publicity secretary in the state, Chris Nehikhare said the allegations are baseless, saying “they are staring defeat in the face and have resorted to fake news propagation.”

Chris continues, “APC has turned into a one fake news per day party. They are staring defeat in the face and have resorted to fake news propagation.

” This allegations is baseless. APC is obviously exploring this option since we busted their Hope Uzodinma template. They are flying a kite and we will be vigilant to make sure their fake voters are not allowed into voting centres as they are the ones they want to use to cause trouble at the polling units.

“Their plans will fail. They cannot subvert the will of Edo people.”

News

FG Shuts 22 Illegal Tertiary Institutions

Published

4 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The National Commission for Colleges of Education has uncovered and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education.

The discovery was made during a crackdown on illegal colleges of education in the country.

The development was revealed in the commission’s achievements, seen by our correspondent.

“The NCCE identified and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating across the country.

“The NCCE conducted personnel audit, financial monitoring in all the 21 federal colleges of education,” the commission said.

President Bola Tinubu had recently urged the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education to weed out illegal higher institutions of learning in the country.

Speaking at the 14th convocation of the National Open University of Nigeria in Abuja, the President ordered the NUC, the NBTE, and other agencies to take decisive action against what he described as “certificate millers” undermining the credibility of the education sector.

Tinubu, who was represented by the Director of University Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Rakiya Ilyasu, warned that the integrity of the academic system must not be compromised.

“At this juncture, it has become imperative to reiterate that this administration remains committed to strengthening the integration of all agencies involved in the administration of education to enhance efficiency and quality,” the President said.

He added, “The National Youth Service Corps, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education are working in alignment to improve the quality of education and ensure that cases of forgery and unrecognised institutions both within and outside the country have no place in our education ecosystem.”

News

EFCC Orders Arrest Of Dismissed Officer On Lege Miami’s Show

Published

5 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has condemned the actions of one of its former staff, Olakunle Alex Folarin, who was recently spotted participating in a matchmaking programme on social media platforms hosted by popular entertainer Lege Miami.

The agency has ordered his immediate arrest for retaining official EFCC property, including an identity card, following his dismissal for certificate forgery.

The anti-graft agency, in a statement on its official X handle on Monday, said Folarin served as a driver at the EFCC’s Ibadan Zonal Directorate.

He was, however, dismissed after investigations confirmed he had forged his academic credentials.

It said, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, condemned in the strongest terms, the involvement of one of its former staff, Olakunle Alex Folarin, in a matchmaking programme running on Lege Miami social media platforms.”

“Folarin was recently dismissed from the Commission for certificate forgery. He was a driver at the Ibadan Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.”

The statement said EFCC Executive Chairma,n Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has ordered Folarin to be arrested and emphasised that Folarin’s actions should not be associated with the commission.

“The Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has ordered his arrest for being in possession of some Commission’s properties, including an identity card, which he should have handed over upon being dismissed from the EFCC.

“The public is advised against associating Folarin’s post-dismissal conduct with the EFCC,” the statement concluded.

News

NERC Transfers Regulation Of Electricity Market To Bayelsa

Published

6 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has transferred regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Bayelsa State to the Bayelsa Electricity Regulatory Agency.

In a notice on its social media handles on Monday, the commission said this was in compliance with the amended 1999 Constitution and the Electricity Act 2023.

“In compliance with the amended Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electricity Act 2023 (Amended), the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued an order to transfer regulatory oversight of the electricity market in Bayelsa State from the Commission to the Bayelsa State Electricity Regulatory Agency,” the commission said.

Recall that with the Electricity Act 2023, the commission retains the role as a central regulator with regulatory oversight on the interstate/international generation, transmission, supply, trading, and system operations.

The Act also mandates any state that intends to establish and regulate intrastate electricity markets to deliver a formal notification of its processes and requests NERC to transfer regulatory authority over electricity operations in the state to the state regulator.

The transfer order by NERC directed Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company Plc to incorporate a subsidiary distribution company to assume responsibilities for intrastate supply and distribution of electricity in Bayelsa State from PHED.

PHED was also directed to complete the incorporation of PHED SubCo within 60 days from August 21, 2025.

“The subcompany shall apply for and obtain a licence for the intrastate supply and distribution of electricity from BYERA, among other directives,” the commission said.

It concluded that all transfers envisaged by the order shall be completed by February 20, 2026.

With this order, Bayelsa has joined states like Lagos, Imo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Enugu, Niger, Edo, Oyo and Plateau, which have got the power to regulate electricity markets.

The state can now generate, transmit, and distribute electricity while issuing licences to investors within the value chain.