News

Linking INEC Voters’ Register With NIN Will Guarantee Election Credibility — Aregbesola

Published

2 years ago

July 11, 2023

Immediate past Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to link its voters register with the database of the National Identification Number, NIN, to tackle credibility and transparency issues in the nation’s electoral processes.

He said the singular act is capable of ending the problem of underage voting and multiple registrations among prospective voters in the electoral process.

Aregbesola in a statement issued by his media office, spoke while presenting a paper titled “Towards Free, Fair and Credible Elections,” at the 7th International Conference of the Professional Statisticians Society of Nigeria (PSSN), holding at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nasarawa State on Tuesday.

Observing that the transparency of the electoral process is vital to the sustainability of a nation, the former Osun State Governor is of the opinion that appropriate statistics are key to the entrenchment of accountability; the first step to achieving development.

The former minister said: “I am suggesting a more seamless registration system that will be continuous and terminates only a few weeks before the election, to allow for compilation and printing of cards. This registration should be synced with the National Identification Number (NIN).

“It will automatically eliminate underage voters and the possibility of multiple registrations. More importantly, people should be able to do the registration online, on their own, just like most application processes we have today. They should only go to INEC office for biometric data capture and card collection only.

“The second factor in the electoral process is the delineation of voting constituencies and poling units. This should be population based. There is also always chaos on election day as voters will be running helter-skelter, trying to find their polling units. There should be a system of notification or personal check to avoid this confusion.

“Thirdly, it appears for most part that agents of the political parties don’t know what to do on election day and at the polling units. INEC should endeavour to train them on what specific roles they will play in election.

“Fourthly, the logistics should be smooth and seamless. In many instances, voting officials will arrive late or without the materials or the machines may just start malfunctioning. Elections should start and end on schedule. Many voters are eventually disenfranchised due to late commencement of voting.”

Aregbesola also canvassed for the liberalisation of Nigeria’s Electoral Laws, such that parties without presence in all states of the federation can present candidates and have its voice in the democratic process.

“In Britain, a party founded in February 2015, Cannabis Is Safer Than Alcohol (CISTA) contested that year’s General Election. Its sole manifesto was the legalisation of cannabis. It had 6,885 votes across the country. It contested the London Mayoral election on May 5, 2016 and finished ninth out of 12 candidates with 20,537 votes in the first round.

“There is also a Legalise Cannabis Australia founded in 1993 with the sole objective of legalising cannabis for personal, medical and medicinal use. It has seven of its members elected across Australia.

“Though I’m not advocating for these ideologies and as bizarre as these may sound to us, the democratic import of it is that the party represents the aspirations and expectations of some people. There are a thousand and one other issues, including secession, expulsion of foreigners, abolition of police and other law enforcement agencies on which parties are formed.

“This is the democratic essence. The space must be created to a reasonable extent to give people the room for the expression of their aspirations. Of course, there will be extreme, unreasonable and unrealisable aspirations, nevertheless, they should have expressions within reasonable limits.

“The process of counting votes and collation of results should be transparent and the rules should be followed, to eliminate anything that can detract from the integrity of the election. In many cases, the election will be smooth, but problems erupt during counting and collation.

“We should avoid the cynical statement ascribed to Joseph Stalin that those who vote decide nothing; those who count the votes decide everything,” Aregbesola stressed further.

News

Court Dissolves Petitioner’s Marriage Over Lack Of Love, Care

Published

8 minutes ago

December 20, 2025

Editor

An Area Court sitting at Centre-Igboro, Ilorin in Kwara State, on Thursday, dissolved the four-year-old marriage between Aminat Mustapha and Wahab Adeshina, following the petitioner’s insistence.

The petitioner told the court that she was no longer interested in her marriage to her husband following claims of lack of love and care.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), while delivering ruling, the presiding judge, Mr Toyin Aluko, held that the respondent had written to the court, accepting the divorce application made by his wife.

Aluko, consequently, dissolved the marriage between the parties, and ordered the woman to observe one month iddah (waiting period) before she could remarry.

Meanwhile, the court granted custody of the two children in the marriage, ages one and three, to their mother.

He ordered the father to pay a monthly sum of N20,000 for the children’s feeding and maintenance.

The court also held that the respondent will be responsible for their education and healthcare.

Again, the court held that the father has unrestricted access to his children, but at reasonable time adding that he should be notified before any decision is taken on his children.

The judge ordered the petitioner to get a copy of the judgment and send same to the respondent.

News

Tinubu Embarks On Three-state Visit

Published

43 minutes ago

December 20, 2025

Editor

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja on Saturday on a working visit to Borno, Bauchi and Lagos.

This is contained in a statement issued by Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Bayo Onanuga, on Friday in Abuja.

While in Borno, the President will commission projects executed by the Borno State Government under Gov. Babagana Zulum, in collaboration with the Federal Government.

He will also attend the wedding ceremony of Sadeeq Sheriff, son of former Borno Governor, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, and his bride, Hadiza Kam Salem.

From Maiduguri, Tinubu will proceed to Bauchi State to condole with the state government and the family of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, the renowned Islamic cleric and leader of the Tijjaniyya Muslim Brotherhood.

Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi died on Nov. 27.

After the condolence visit, the President will travel to Lagos, where he will spend the end-of-year holidays.

During his stay in Lagos, Tinubu is expected to attend several engagements, including the Eyo Festival scheduled for Dec. 27.

The festival, to be held at Tafawa Balewa Square, will honour notable personalities, including the President’s late mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, former Lagos State governors Alhaji Lateef Jakande and Chief Michael Otedola.

News

My Wife Dented My Image, Took Our Marital Crises To Radio Stations — Husband

Published

1 hour ago

December 20, 2025

Editor

…He ran away from home after I was delivered of twins —Wife

Grade A Customary Court sitting at Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, has ruled that a couple, Folaji and Ifedayo should go their different ways after it pronounced their marriage dissolved.

The court president, Mrs S.M Akintayo, who gave the judgment, stated that this was imperative to dissolve the marriage for peace to reign.

The plaintiff, Folaji, who dragged his wife to court, accused her of not loving him, always fighting him, and sometimes displaying violence.

Folaji explained that the root of their differences was Ifedayo’s bias for his mode of worship.

According to the plaintiff, he attends a white garment church, which mode of worship the defendant abhors and therefore refused to attend services with him.

Folaji also said that Ifedayo concealed from him the fact that she was suffering from a particular ailment, which he became aware of after she was advised at the hospital to carry out series of tests.

Folaji stated that the differences between him and his wife degenerated to the level that he became a regular face at the police station and also at radio stations, where his wife took their matters to.

The plaintiff told the court that the defendant had done a lot of damage to his image, and thus prayed the court to put an end to their relationship so that he could pick up the pieces of his life.

The plaintiff sought easy access to their children and promised to give them feeding allowance weekly.

He further requested an order restraining his wife from threatening him and from interfering with his private life.

Ifedayo, in her response, agreed that their union be dissolved.

She stated that her husband was inhumane and that he packed out of their house before she was discharged from the hospital after she put to bed a set of twins.

The defendant further said that the plaintiff had never visited her and their children since he walked out of their marriage.

According to her, her husband sent her N20,000 through his counsel after he dragged her to court, but that she declined it because it was a ridiculous amount to feed a set of twins.

Folaji, in his testimony, said: “My lord, my wife, and I had a proper wedding, and I paid her bride price.

“I expected my wife to be submissive to me and do my binding, but the reverse is the case.

“My wife is stubborn and troublesome.

“She swore never to attend my church because it’s a white garment church and that she loathes our way of worship.

“The more I encouraged her to attend, the more she kept her distance.

“She later reluctantly agreed to attend service once a month.

“My wife is secretive. She hid from me for years the fact that she was nursing an ailment. I only became aware of this when the doctor confirmed it after she went through a series of tests when she took ill.

“My wife, rather than being remorseful, decided to make life tough for me.

“She became troublesome and never ceased to fight me.

“She is violent and always hit and harmed me with any dangerous objects within her reach.

“We always dragged ourselves to the police station where we became a regular face.

“My wife, determined to dent my image, took our issues to radio stations where I was invited and our differences were aired.

“I walked out of our marriage when I could no longer tolerate my wife’s misbehaviour.

“She reported me again at the welfare office and, after mediating in our differences, I was asked to provide her with foodstuff and not money, which I did on a regular basis.

“But she has insisted that I would not have rest of mind.

“I pray this court to dissolve our marriage and grant me free access to our children. I promise to make provision for their upkeep on a weekly basis.

“I further request an order restraining my wife from threatening and interfering with my private life.”

Ifedayo, in her response, said: “I agree that our marriage be dissolved. My husband is inhumane and has no conscience, which were the causes of the crisis we experienced in our marriage.

“I was admitted in the hospital to be delivered of our set of twins, but I returned to meet an empty house. My husband deserted me and our newborn children.

“He never checked on them nor gave anything for their upkeep. He only gave them N20,000 of recent through his counsel after he came to court.

“I rejected the money because such an amount can not feed sufficiently two children of their age, not to mention other needs.

“I plead that the court grant me custody of our children and make my husband responsible for their upkeep.

“I want him to give attention to their feeding and pay their school fees as and when due.

“He should likewise be available any time they need medical attention.”

Giving her judgment, Mrs Akintayo said although both had a valid customary marriage and bride price was paid, the court had no choice than to grant their prayers of divorce since they now express their disinterest in it.

Akintayo ruled that they were no longer husband and wife.

She granted custody of their children to the defendant, stating that they were still minors in need of motherly care.

The defendant was granted access to their children on a weekly basis while he was ordered to be responsible for their welfare.