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For Free, Fair, Credible Election, Edo Youths Must Shun Violence – INEC

Published

5 years ago

August 12, 2020

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo, Dr. Johnson Alalibo, has declared that to deliver free, fair, credible and peaceful election in the state on September 19, the teeming Edo youths must shun violence.

He disclosed that in the last one month, he had not slept, in order for the activities and processes before, during and after the crucial election to be smooth.

Alalibo stated these yesterday as a guest of honour during the “Vote Not Fight Campaign,” organised by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Benin.

He said: “To promote democracy, we must promote peace. In Edo State, we have started seeing untoward activities by political actors and operators.

“The youths are more vulnerable to be used for electoral violence. If we want free, fair, credible and peaceful election in Edo State on September 19, the youths must shun violence during the campaigns and the poll.

“The politicians should avoid offensive language in their jingles and campaigns. To deepen democracy, the election must be devoid of violence.”

The REC of INEC in Edo also urged the security agencies and other stakeholders to continue to support the electoral commission, while lauding NDI for the timely campaign.

Also speaking, Edo State Commissioner of Police, Babatunde Kokumo noted that INEC and security agencies were on hot seat, in order to get the September 19 election right, thereby promoting democracy and moving Nigeria forward.

He, however, called for credible information about criminals and illegal activities from members of the public.

Kokumo, who was represented by the Assistant Commissioner in charge of the state’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Ayo Faniyan, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), also disclosed that Edo State police command was ready for the election, with the officers and men to be neutral, as always, while admonishing all the stakeholders to join hands to promote democracy.

NDI’s Senior Programme Manager, Bem Aga, in his goodwill message, disclosed that the institute was to promote and strengthen democracy, just as he pleaded with Nigerians particularly Edo residents to vote and not fight, stressing that the crucial election should not be seen as war.

Aga urged politicians not to use the youths for violence, while declaring that the young people should always use their sense, since they represent the future of the society, thereby being at the forefront of advocacy for non-violent elections and to mobilise their peers to ensure peace.

The NDI chief declared that there would not be development without peace and that nobody would benefit from violence, while calling on Edo residents, especially the youths, to choose peace and stay away from violence, hate speech, misinformation, disinformation and fake news that could lead to violence.

In his welcome remarks, the Executive Director of Connected Advocacy for Empowerment and Youth Development Initiative, Prince Israel Orekha, noted that the organisation decided to partner NDI to ensure violence-free September 19 election in Edo.

He said: “Electoral violence has remained a major concern for the people of Edo State, since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999. Competing political interests have been consistent with their approach of recruiting Edo youths to settle political scores.

“With just a month to the September 19 off-cycle governorship election in Edo State, many people have reasons to fear that the election may not be peaceful.

“Government-related challenges like high unemployment, underemployment and poverty rates have made many Nigerian youths disillusioned and unwilling to participate in political and electoral processes. These need to be corrected through civic and voter education.”

Orekha also reiterated that Nigeria’s youths had been victims and perpetrators of electoral violence over the years, while declaring that youth supporters of the leading governorship candidates in Edo state had been complicit in the acts of violence committed so far.

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Nigerian Govt Launches LG Proof Of Address To Improve Citizen Identification

Published

1 hour ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government has officially rolled out the Local Government Proof of Address, POA, project, an initiative designed to strengthen national security, improve citizen identification, and enhance service delivery across the country.

The project, initiated by the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, was formally approved through a circular issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, OSGF, with reference number 5964B/S,13/VBA/T.IIIA/704.

According to the circular, the POA scheme took effect from October 1, 2025. However, implementation is at various stages in different federal and state Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs.

According to the circular, under the new arrangement, all federal and state Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, government-owned corporations, and public institutions are mandated to replace the long-standing use of utility bills as proof of residence with the standardized Proof of Address issued at the local government level.

The circular explained that the POA project aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s eight-point development agenda, particularly, in the areas of governance reform, security enhancement, and institutional efficiency.

It is domiciled in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, with the Nigerian Postal Service, NIPOST, serving as the coordinating federal agency.

“For years, the reliance on utility bills as proof of residence has posed major challenges. Many Nigerians do not have utility bills in their names, while others rely on outdated or shared documents that do not accurately reflect their current place of residence.

“In the same vein, the increasing use of digital services and prepaid utilities has further reduced the reliability of utility bills as a credible verification tool,” the circular stated.

Also, it noted that while the National Identification Number, NIN, remains a critical component of Nigeria’s identity management framework, a significant number of NIN records do not capture current or accurate residential addresses, limiting their effectiveness for residency verification, security profiling, and service planning.

“The POA is therefore designed to fill this critical gap by providing verified, location-specific, and up-to-date address information directly linked to local governments.

“The POA framework places residency verification at the grassroots, where local authorities have better knowledge of their communities. By anchoring address verification at the local government level, the initiative is expected to improve community-level intelligence, crime prevention, emergency response, and population data accuracy,” it added.

Beyond security, the circular noted that POA data is expected to deliver wide-ranging benefits, including improved public service delivery, equitable resource allocation, disaster management planning, urban development, social intervention targeting and financial inclusion.

The circular directed state governments to lead awareness and sensitisation efforts within their jurisdictions, with technical and institutional support from the OSGF, NIPOST, and ALGON.

News

Tax Reform Law: Reps Minority Caucus Seeks Suspension Of Implementation

Published

1 hour ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has demanded the immediate suspension of the implementation of the recently enacted tax reform laws.

The demand follows allegations that the statutes were unlawfully altered after being passed by the National Assembly and assented to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Minority Leader, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, in a statement issued on Monday alongside other principal officers of the caucus, expressed deep concern and overwhelming disappointment over the controversy surrounding the tax reforms.

According to the caucus, the allegations, if proven, strike at the core of Nigeria’s legislative integrity, constitutional order and democratic governance.

While acknowledging that disagreements often accompany major reforms, the caucus stated that the present situation goes far beyond routine policy debate, as it involves claims that the laws were fraudulently altered, gazetted and circulated in a form different from what was duly passed by both chambers of the National Assembly and signed into law by the President.

It recalled that the matter was formally raised on the floor of the House during a recent plenary session, leading to the constitution of a high-powered investigative committee to probe the allegations.

News

Outrage, Confusion Trail Rumours Of Mohbad’s Wife Giving Birth Two Years After His Death

Published

1 hour ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

Many Nigerians on social media have reacted to the trending news about Wunmi, late singer Mohbad’s wife.

Rumours have emerged online that Wunmi recently welcomed a new baby with another man.

The rumours came a month after Mohbad’s family banned Wunmi from using their surname.

The viral rumour that started on X sparked controversy on social media with netizens raising eyebrows – since Mohbad died on September 12, 2023, and his body is still in the morgue.

The development has revived calls for a DNA test on her son with the late singer, Liam, who was five months old when Mohbad died.

Following the controversial circumstances surrounding Mohbad’s death, and allegation of infidelity against Wunmi, the deceased’s father, Joseph Aloba, requested a DNA to determine Liam’s paternity.

Reacting to the development, actor Stanley Ontop in a post on Instagram wrote “Mohbad dled in 2023 Him wife give birth in 2025? What God can not do does not exist! Clap hand for Jesus. Anyways in life as a man try not to kpai, no matter what. Life goes on Anyways congratulations iyawo Mohbad.”

Also @MasterminddBoB wrote on X; ”Dis is not life pausing ooooo dis is her been a stupid person amid speculation of the requested DNA test for Liam..make una get sense small.”

@AgbafianTV wrote “If the News about mohbad wife allegedly giving birth is through, then know that women are ruthless in all their ways. To be able to deal with women, you’ve to be very ruthless. Don’t die because of any woman.”

@callme_Riken wrote; “I don’t know if the news about Mohbad’s wife, Wunmi, giving birth is true. But if it is. Sooner or later, she was going to move on, whether her father-in-law agreed to bury his son or not. Life doesn’t pause forever.”

@djokaymegamixer wrote on X; “I won’t be surprised if it’s later found out that the story of the late Mohbad’s widow, Wunmi, giving birth was a hoax. There is nothing these guys can’t tweet all in the name of hustling engagements for Elon Musk’s money.”