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Election Tension: Oba Of Benin Proposes Six Years Single Term For Gov, President

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… Urges Obaseki, Ize-Iyamu To Emulate GEJ

The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II on Thursday proposed a single six-year term for presidents and governors to reduce tension and violence associated with re-election of candidates.

This is as he disclosed plans to summon governorship candidates, particularly the two main contenders for the Edo State governorship election slated for September 19.

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Oba Ewuare II made the proposal when he received delegations from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) led by the chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, at his palace in Benin City.

READ ALSO: Edo 2020: Ize-Iyamu Bags ‘The one Who Will Wipe Our Tears’ Honorary Title

He said one of the reasons why the single tenure hasn’t been adopted is because most elected officers fail to perform, adding that if there are mechanisms to evaluate performance periodically during their tenures, they will sit up, perform their duties and it will go a long way reducing the tension in elections.

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“I am not an expert on political analysis. I want to speak on possible option to avoid the current situation in the future, if it is possible you come up with six year single tenure for elections

“Assuming it is a single term of six years, appraisal will be done every two years, and if they don’t meet up to standard after the evaluation performance, they will face impeachment.

“I will do my best to invite the governorship candidate for this election, particularly the two gladiators. I will call Ize-iyamu and Obaseki to tell them we do not want violence, we want peace,” Oba of Benin said.

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READ ALSO: Edo Guber: PDP Knocks APC Over Request To Transfer Cases To FCT

The Benin Monarch who said no life is worth the election, appealed to Edo people to eschew election-related violence, and not to sacrifice their lives for greedy politicians.

“All those who want to turn the state into a battleground, the law of karma will visit them one by one,” he added.

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He urged the governorship candidates to imitate the decision of the former president, Goodluck Jonathan, who conceded defeat in the 2015 presidential election, in other to avoid violence.

Oba Ewuare II commended INEC for their diligent jobs, and prayed to God to assist the electoral body in performing their roles ahead of the governorship election.

READ ALSO: Edo 2020: Provocative Utterances May Mar Election, NOA Warns

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Earlier, the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu expressed gratitude to the Oba of Benin for his kind gesture and assured the palace that Commission is ready for the election.

“INEC is not a political party. The choice of who becomes governor lies on the people,” he said.

In his remarks, Edo State Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo said they are collaborating with security agencies, particularly, Nigerian Navy, to ensure a violence-free election.

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READ ALSO: Factional Edo Assembly Members Carpet Obaseki Over Executive Rascality

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Avoid Mistakes Of 2023 Elections, EU Tells Nigeria

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The European Union has raised the alarm over the slow pace of electoral reforms in Nigeria, warning that without swift action, the country risks repeating the “serious shortcomings” of the 2023 general elections.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Barry Andrews, a member of the European Parliament and chief of the EU Election Observation Follow-up Mission to Nigeria, presented a sobering assessment of progress since the EU Election Observation Mission delivered its final report in 2023.

“In this context, we are here to reflect on how electoral reform can deepen the roots of democracy here in Nigeria,” Andrews said, adding that the EU deployed a follow-up mission comprising three experts on 9 September 2025 to engage stakeholders, including the Independent National Electoral Commission, the National Assembly, political parties, civil society, the media and development partners.

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The mission chief reported that of the 23 recommendations made by the EU EOM in 2023, only one had been fully implemented; two had been partially implemented; eight were ongoing; nine were yet to be implemented; and for three, it was still too early to tell. Eleven recommendations require legal changes, and 12 are administrative in nature.

READ ALSO:Nigerian Singer Attih Soul Performs At Barcelona Star Lamine’s Birthday

“The fully implemented recommendation is ensuring institutional accountability by consulting on the publication of election-related laws. INEC has carried this out, but that is one of 23. There is much more work to do, and I want to re-emphasise that this is a critical moment,” he said.

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Our evaluation indicates that progress in implementing the recommendations has been modest thus far and is in serious danger of falling to critically low levels.

Avoiding this outcome will require both political will from legislators and urgent, coordinated administrative actions by relevant institutions,” he warned.

Despite the slow progress, Andrews noted a strong consensus among stakeholders. “What we find especially important is the strong alignment we see between the recommendations of INEC, civil society — through the Citizens’ Memorandum — and those of the EU election observers. Each of these three processes was conducted independently, and yet they point in the same direction.”

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He emphasised that Nigerians themselves — within institutions and in civil society — are calling for the same changes international observers have highlighted. “It shows that there is a broad and shared understanding of what needs to be done to strengthen future elections,” the mission chief added.

READ ALSO:INEC Gets 151 Party Registration Requests, Begins Screening

Andrews acknowledged that work has begun on electoral reform, including ongoing deliberations on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2025 and constitutional review processes, both of which incorporate several of the EU’s recommendations.

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He welcomed growing collaboration between civil society organisations and lawmakers, noting that civil society has contributed technical expertise and advocacy while Parliament has created space for engagement.

Andrews said the success of reform hinges more on political will than on technical drafting.

He outlined six priority recommendations deemed essential for improving Nigeria’s electoral integrity and stressed the importance of transparency in the appointment of a new INEC chairperson, expected later this year.

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READ ALSO:ADC: Why INEC Has Not Recognised David Mark, Others

A transparent, non-partisan and merit-based appointment process will strengthen INEC as an institution and give citizens greater confidence that the commission will improve its professionalism, neutrality and independence,” he said.

The mission chief also highlighted the need for greater transparency in results management. “We all saw in 2023 how quickly confidence can be eroded when polling-unit results are missing, uploaded with poor quality, or collation appears disorganised.

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Andrews further flagged the extremely low representation of women in Nigeria’s political institutions.

He praised the discussion around the reserved-seats bill as a potential milestone toward inclusivity.

READ ALSO:INEC Portal Records Over 69,000 Online Voters Pre-registration

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Turning to electoral offences, Andrews warned that widespread impunity for misconduct — such as violence, vote buying and misuse of state resources — continues to threaten election integrity. “Justice delayed is justice denied,” he said, noting that prosecutions remain too few and too slow.

He described the proposed electoral offences commission as a much-needed step forward.

He also stressed the importance of legal clarity, saying INEC needs a stable legal environment to carry out its responsibilities effectively, from voter education to budgeting. “If reforms are adopted too late, they risk causing uncertainty or even becoming impossible to implement,” he said.

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Finally, he raised concerns over the safety of journalists, citing ongoing reports of harassment and violence against media professionals. “What is needed is a credible system to investigate and prosecute attacks swiftly and effectively. That would show that freedom of expression is not only guaranteed on paper but also upheld in practice.”

In concluding his remarks, Andrews acknowledged progress, especially in legislative engagement and discussions around gender representation, but warned that “the window for reform is closing fast.”

READ ALSO:Things To Know As INEC Begins Physical Voter Registration Monday

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He urged political actors to seize the current momentum to deliver reforms that can safeguard transparency, inclusiveness and credibility in the 2027 elections, noting that falling turnout in successive elections shows the stakes have never been higher.

We are supporting Nigeria through our Democratic Governance in Nigeria programme,” Amb. Mignot said. “We are doing this by supporting the implementation of the recommendations of the EU observation mission with technical assistance — for stakeholder consultations, for instance — partly through institutions such as the National Assembly and civil society.”

He clarified the EU’s approach to off-cycle elections, distinguishing formal observation missions from “watch visits” by diplomats. “We don’t do observation missions in off-cycle elections,” he explained.

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Recall that INEC chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu, during the EU’s visit to the commission’s headquarters on Thursday, confirmed that only eight of the 23 recommendations made by the EU in 2023 were directly addressed to the commission, and just one was marked as a priority.

Yakubu warned that failure to act swiftly on electoral law amendments could disrupt planning for the 2027 elections.

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Awujale: UNILAG Don Leads Ruling House Faction

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A professor of Media Law and Mass Communication with the University of Lagos and one-time Commissioner for Information in Ogun State, Fassy Yusuf, has emerged as the head of a faction of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House dubbed as the “Original Fusengbuwa Ruling House.”

Speaking at a briefing held on Thursday in Agunsebi, Ijebu-Ode, the professor stated that the royal family, which is next in line to produce the next Awujale of Ijebu land, has kicked off registration of the family members of the ruling house as part of foundation-laying preparations for the selection and filling of the vacant stool of Awujale.

The faction of the ruling house being coordinated by Yusuf comprises the Jadiara, Bubiade, Tunwase and Fusengbuwa royal families.

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This development is coming on the heels of the reported reconciliation of the two previous factional groups led by Adedokun Ajidagba and former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Alhaji Abdulateef Owoyemi.

READ ALSO:Awujale Succession: Court Battle Begins Over Ruling House Leadership Crisis

Yusuf said, “I must also emphasise that the mourning period of the late Awujale, Oba (Dr) Sikiru Kayode Adetona, CFR, GCON, who passed on July 13, 2025, will officially end on Sunday, October 11, 2025, paving the way for the implementation of the succession process.

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“The Declaration made under Section 4 (2) of the Chiefs Law 1957 indicated that the four ruling houses are entitled to produce Awujale, and they are Gbelegbuwa, Anikinlaiya, Fusengbuwa, and Fidipote, but it is now the turn of Fusengbuwa.”

He further explained that candidates must be of the ruling house and from the male line, except in cases where succession devolves through the female line under the Abidagba principle.

Responding to questions about the Folagbade Adenuga group’s claim of having the right to produce the next Awujale, the former commissioner stressed that Folagbade is not listed as a ruling house in the declaration and therefore must align with one of the recognised branches.

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READ ALSO:PHOTOS: Awujale Installs El-Rufai As Gbobaniyi Of Ijebu Land

As part of preparations to pick a successor to Oba Adetona, who joined his ancestors on July 13, 2025, Yusuf said that membership registration forms to build a family database and expression of interest forms for aspirants to the throne had been prepared for a smooth sailing exercise.

Recall that preparation to pick the next Awujale after the death of Oba Adetona, aged 91, in July, and who reigned for 65 years, had been gathering momentum, particularly within the Fusengbuwa ruling house, which is the next to produce the next Awujale.

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The former President of ICAN, Alhaji Owoyemi and an oil and gas magnate, Adedokun, had been at each other’s throats for some time over the leadership of this ruling family.

The two elders, however, about a week ago, decided to bury their differences and reconciled to work together in unity, even as they both pledged to ensure that the right candidate for the vacant stool of Awujale is selected when the time comes.

It was gathered that the three-month mourning period of Oba Awujale would be completed by October 11, after which the race to pick the next Awujale would go into full swing.
(PUNCH)

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Pastor Adeboye To Lead Prayers For Nigeria

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The General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God,Pastor Enoch Adeboye
The General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye. Photo Credit: RCCG

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, will host a special thanksgiving service to commemorate the 65th Independence anniversary of Nigeria.

In a statement made available to Saturday PUNCH, RCCG said the service, themed “The King of kings,” will take place at the church’s national headquarters in Ebute-Metta, Lagos, on Sunday.

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READ ALSO:RCCG Pastor Arrested Abroad For Greeting ‘Ladies And Gentlemen’ — Adeboye

According to the RCCG, the programme was inspired by a divine direction, and it would feature special prayers for public office holders in the country.

“Guided by divine direction, Pastor Adeboye will lead special prayers for government executives, legislators, politicians, electoral institutions, peacekeeping groups, political leaders, elder statesmen, students of political science, citizens’ rights organisations, and for the people of Nigeria at large,” the statement read.

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The church urged the general public to join the programme, describing it as a “solemn national intercession for peace, unity, and divine progress for the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

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