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Olanipekun: Truth About Bayelsa Government Will Soon Be Revealed

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…Says No Regret Seeking Review

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) has said that the truth about the Bayelsa Supreme Court judgment review would soon be revealed.

Olanipekun, who spoke on Sunday in his country home Ikere-Ekiti during a thanksgiving service commemorating 1,600 capacity church auditorium he donated to Saint Peter’s Anglican Church, also said he did no wrong seeking review of the judgement earlier delivered against the APC.

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He added that the Church auditorium he built and donated was part of his contributions to the spiritual growth of his people and for the development of tourism potential of the state.

READ ALSO: Diri Donates N40m Awarded to By Supreme Court To God’s, Work

Olanipekun advised the church against being antagonistic neither should they act cowardly in handling of the vexatious matter.

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“I could see the leadership of the church are not speaking up loud enough. Though, I believe we need prayers to overcome insurgency and terrorism. I know the Christians must be cautious about their actions, but they should not act cowardly.”

“But I know that no matter how strong the evil forces are, they won’t overrun the power of God, because the power of God is not run through the power of man”.

Olanipekun who head legal team for Lyon appeared alongside Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) and Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to seek the review, which the supreme Court had dismissed and awarded N30m fine against each of the litigants’ lawyers to be paid directly to the People’s Democratic Party.

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READ ALSO: Supreme Court Judgement: Accept It In Good Fate, APC Begs Bayelsans

Independent quoted Olanipekun as saying, “I have never regretted any of my actions since I started my legal practice, because I always abide by the ethics of the job.

“The truth about the matter will be revealed soon, but I have the conviction that I have done no wrong, because this is a profession I love so much.

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“I saw legal profession as a ministry. I am convinced and knew that what we did was within the best tradition in law, I can tell anyone about this. But I will speak about the whole thing at the appropriate time, I won’t say more than that now”, he said.

READ ALSO: Dickson, Diri Praise God In Styles As Supreme Court Rejects APC Application

The supreme Court had disqualified the APC candidate on the basis that his deputy, Chief Degi Biobarakuma-Eremionye forged his academic certificates and the court subsequently declared the candidate of the PDP, Chief Duoye Diri, winner of the poll and was sworn- in as the Governor.

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(Independent)

PHOTO: File

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First Female Lawyer In Mid-West Region Is Dead

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First female lawyer in the old Mid-West region, Grace Ogbemi, is dead.

She died in Lagos at the age of 89 just a week before her 90th birthday.

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Before her death, she was a successful Itsekiri businessman and politician.

Born in Warri July 11, 1935 to Chief Reece Edukugho, Madam Grace Ogbemi was called to the English Bar in 1958, becoming the first female lawyer in the Mid-West Region, now Edo and Delta states.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: Olubadan, Oba Olakulehin, Is Dead

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She was a partner in the law firm of Godfrey Amachree Ogbemi & Co.

She got married to Franklin Ogbemi, a Chartered Engineer.

She died on July 5, 2025.

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Why We Refused To Vote, Opted For Football – Lagos Youths

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While election officials and stakeholders made repeated calls for civic participation in the ongoing local government polls in Lagos, some young residents of Alausa, Ikeja, chose football over voting.

Between 9am and 2pm on Saturday, during the peak of the electioneering process, groups of youths were seen at three different spots in Alausa engrossed in football matches instead of heading to polling units.

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When approached by our correspondent, many of them cited a lack of trust in the electoral outcome as the reason for staying away from the polls.

“You can’t force me to vote. I chose to play ball, and why will I vote?” said Ayomikun Ola, one of the youths.

READ ALSO: What May Change As Lagos Tenancy Bill Passes Second Reading

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Another young man, Opeyemi Omoemi, was blunt in his response: “We all know that it’s the APC that wins all, as usual. So there is no need for me to disturb myself.”

Wasiu, also found on the field, said, “Bro, there is no need. I am satisfied with the football than the vote.”

Bayo, who joined the game, explained that he was underage. “I haven’t clocked 18, that’s why I didn’t vote. The best is to play football,” he said.

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A young woman, Seriki Ganiyat, attending to customers at her shop nearby, said she could not afford to leave her business for the election.

READ ALSO: LASIEC Releases Validated Candidates’ List Gor Lagos LG Polls

It’s not necessary. I have children to feed. Imagine if I had to leave my shop to go and vote. What for and what will my children eat this night?” she asked.

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Their views reflect a broader pattern of low voter turnout and widespread apathy observed across many polling units.

At Polling Unit 003, Ward 7, only 61 out of 1,000 registered voters had voted as of 1:05pm.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: Vote Counting Begins In Yaba

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Similarly, at PU 007 of the same ward, only 30 people had cast their ballots by 1pm., while PU 031 had recorded just four voters out of 29 by 1:12 p.m.

At PU 026, only one voter had shown up out of 21 registered. PU 027 recorded just five votes from 62 registered voters by 1:43pm.

In Ward F, PU 011, 45 voters turned up from a total of 908. PU 085 had no votes cast at all by 1:45pm, despite having four registered voters.

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Ward C’s PU 004, with 913 registered voters, recorded just 30 ballots as of 1:47pm. At Ward F, PU 036, only 50 out of 986 had voted by 1:51pm.
(PUNCH)

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JUST IN: Vote Counting Begins In Yaba

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Vote counting has officially commenced at Polling Unit 024 in Ward B, Makoko area of Yaba, Lagos, marking the winding down of the 2025 local government election across the state.

However, the conclusion of the poll has been overshadowed by a pervasive low voter turnout, raising questions about the exercise’s overall impact.

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The lack of voter enthusiasm could impact the credibility and inclusiveness of the exercise,” an election observer noted, reflecting a sentiment shared by many watching the democratic process unfold.

READ ALSO: Lagos Police Deploys 30,000 Officers For LG Polls

This concern comes as officials at Polling Unit 002, located in the same Ward B, continued to await the arrival of voters even as counting began elsewhere.

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Despite a generally peaceful atmosphere reported across various polling units, voter turnout remained significantly low in many parts of Yaba.

At Ward F, 012, situated along Iwaya Road, voting was still ongoing as of press time, with officials describing the turnout as notably lower than anticipated.

READ ALSO: LASIEC Releases Validated Candidates’ List Gor Lagos LG Polls

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Similar reports echoed from other sections of Iwaya, where Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission officials observed a sluggish pace of voting activity throughout the day.

In contrast, Ward G at St. Timothy College presented a more active scene, with multiple polling units—including 001, 002, 003, 004, and 005—conducting voting in an orderly manner.

This provided a glimpse of the organised process, even amidst the broader challenges of voter engagement.

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Election observers, while commending the largely calm and disruption-free process, reiterated their concerns that the palpable lack of voter enthusiasm could indeed impact the credibility and inclusiveness of the local government elections.

LASIEC officials have continued their efforts to encourage eligible voters to come out and cast their ballots before the scheduled close of voting at 3pm.
(PUNCH)

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