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Ondo Poll: INEC To Deploy 4,814 BVAS, Okays 700 Journalists

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The Independent National Electoral Commission has disclosed its plan to deploy 4,814 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines for the upcoming Ondo State governorship election, scheduled for November 16, 2024.

A senior INEC official, who anonymously spoke to Saturday PUNCH, stated that the commission was fully prepared to facilitate an efficient electoral process across the state’s 3,933 polling units and 222 collation centres.

These centres include 203 ward centres, 18 local government centres, and the state collation centres.

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4,814 BVAS devices will be deployed for the Ondo State governorship election,” the official said.

As part of the preparations, INEC has organised a mock voter accreditation set for November 6, 2024, aimed at testing the BVAS and ensuring a smooth electronic result upload to the INEC Result Viewing portal.

READ ALSO: Ondo Poll: PDP, APC Trade Words Over Violence

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The exercise is expected to identify any issues before the main election day.

On June 13, 2024, INEC released the final list of candidates for the Ondo State election, revealing that 17 political parties would field candidates.

Notably, no female candidates are running for governorship, although the African Democratic Congress fielded a candidate who is a paraplegic.

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Campaigns for the Ondo governorship, which began on June 19, 2024, will end at midnight on November 14, 2024.

Political parties have also submitted a total of 24,148 polling and collation agents to support the election process.

Meanwhile, in preparation for the forthcoming governorship election, has accredited 112 media organisations, involving over 700 journalists, technicians, and support personnel.

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READ ALSO: JUST IN: Protest Rocks INEC Over Demand For Ondo REC Redeployment

The media presence includes outlets spanning print, radio, television, and digital platforms, according to an announcement by INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at the fourth regular quarterly consultative meeting with media organisations in Abuja on Friday.

“The commission is glad to announce the accreditation of 112 national and international media organisations (newspaper, radio, television, and online) deploying over 700 journalists, technicians and other personnel to facilitate their coverage of the election.

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“The detailed breakdown of the media organisations and the number of personnel to be deployed will be uploaded to our website and social media platforms for public information,” he said.

Yakubu stressed the importance of the media in maintaining the integrity of the election, noting that accurate coverage was essential to counter misinformation and promote peaceful elections.

The INEC chairman stated, “I appeal to the media to intensify your accurate reportage that will ensure peaceful elections, especially now that campaigns by political parties and candidates are in full swing in the state.

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READ ALSO: Ondo Poll: APC Groups Declare Support For SDP Candidate

“I also appeal to you to continue to serve as a counterforce against fake news, misinformation and disinformation.”

The President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Chris Isiguzo, highlighted the vital role of journalist safety and press freedom in supporting Nigeria’s democracy.

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Isiguzo emphasised the need for security forces to safeguard journalists from intimidation, harassment, or harm.

We urge security agencies to take proactive steps to guarantee the safety of media professionals, especially in light of the intensified threats and heightened risks that journalists face in today’s environment,” Isiguzo stated.

He added that clampdowns on journalists should have no place in a democracy.

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Back To School: Lions Club Distributes Educational Materials In Edo Schools

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The Benin Etete Unique and Edo Heritage Lions of the International Association of Lions Club on Friday jointly distributed educational materials to two schools in Benin City as part of the association corporate services to humanity.

The two clubs in District 404-A4 Lions Nigeria, jointly carried out the distribution of notebooks, maths sets, school bags and sandals, pens and other writing materials to excited pupils in Ivbioba Primary School and Oghede-Ivioba Primary School, Ugbighoko, Egor Local Government Area, and Evbiyenava Primary School, in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.

Themed, Back to School Project, pupils were also engaged in Reading Action Program (RAP) and Spelling Bee Competition, after which winners were presented with special prizes.

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In their remarks, Lions Darlington Uyi and Franca Nikoro, presidents of Benin Etete Unique and Edo Heritage Lions Clubs stated that the vision of the Lions International is to serve humanity.

READ ALSO:Properties Worth Millions Of Naira Destroyed As Fire Ravages Building In Ibadan

They, therefore, tasked pupils on commitment to their studies in order to attain their fullest potentials in life.

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Emulate Lions in your visions for tomorrow. We have various professionals as members, and if you are committed to your studies, obedient to your parents and teachers, you will attain great heights,” Lion Uyi Darlinton Stated.

Our vision is to serve, and we are here like we do every period to ensure Literacy is inculcated in pupils to enable them to attain their full potential. It is our earnest desire that you grow into well rounded personalities. Literacy is important in order to actualize that aspiration,” Franca Nikoro stated.

Earlier, in his address, Lion Sir Dede Henry Idemudia, Zone 6A Chairperson, tasked the pupils on good conduct, honour to parents and guardians and obedience to instructions of school authority.

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NAFDAC Gives Nigerian Food Companies 18 Months To Cut Trans Fats

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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has set an 18-month grace period, effectively giving food companies until early 2026 before facing full enforcement of regulations to eliminate industrially produced Trans-Fatty Acids (TFA).

The initiative, launched as a comprehensive strategy and roadmap for TFA regulation, moves Nigeria from simply having the policy to enforcing its world-class standard: a regulatory limit of no more than two grams of industrially produced trans fat per 100 grams of total fat or oil.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, emphasised that the roadmap moves the country beyond policy creation to aggressive enforcement and implementation.

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READ ALSO:NAFDAC Warns Of Fake Artemetrin DS, Antibiotic Ciprofit 500 In Circulation

This was contained in the NAFDAC DG’s keynote speech posted on the agency’s official X (formerly Twitter) on Friday.

Adeyeye stressed the moral imperative of the Agency’s mission.

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The removal of industrially produced trans fats from the food chain is not only a technical achievement, but a moral imperative.

“Eliminating industrially produced trans fats is possible, achievable, necessary, and urgent,” Adeyeye stated, calling for national collaboration.

The moratorium period is designed to allow manufacturers to exhaust existing stock with outdated labels and reformulate their products to comply with the legal limit.

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READ ALSO:NAFDAC Seals Illegal Chemical, Water Firm In Abuja

NAFDAC’s action targets a dangerous dietary risk factor strongly linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and premature death globally.

Adeyeye emphasised the significance of the move beyond technical compliance, noting, “The removal of industrially produced trans fats from the food chain is not only a technical achievement, but a moral imperative.”

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This aggressive step builds upon Nigeria’s existing reputation; the country was recognised by the World Health Organisation in 2023 for adopting best-practice TFA elimination policies.

The new roadmap is key to securing WHO validation of Nigeria’s full TFA elimination programme, establishing the nation as a regional leader in public health interventions.

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Mohbad’s Father Urges Lagos AG To Prosecute Wife, Nurse, Others

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Joseph Aloba, the father of late singer Mohbad, has urged the Lagos State government to initiate criminal proceedings against individuals named in the coroner’s inquest into his son’s death.

Mohbad passed away on September 12, 2023, following an injection administered by auxiliary nurse Feyisayo Ogedengbe.

Despite being buried the next day, public outcry and ongoing investigations led to the exhumation of his body on September 21, 2023, for an autopsy.

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In a letter dated October 3 and addressed to the attorney general of Lagos State through his lawyers, Aloba demanded that criminal charges be filed against those indicted within 14 days.

READ ALSO:Mohbad: Naira Marley Speaks In New Video

Specifically, we refer to persons indicted by the coroner’s verdict hereunder: Miss Ogedengbe Fisayo, indicted for unlawful medical practice and gross medical negligence; and Mrs. Omowunmi Aloba, indicted for negligence,” the letter reads.

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“This includes Ibrahim Owodunni, a.k.a. Prime Boy, and others who either facilitated the invitation of the auxiliary nurse or refused to take him promptly to a recognised medical facility for treatment.”

Mohbad’s father said he was concerned that despite the coroner’s clear verdict, no prosecutorial steps had been taken against those indicted nearly three months after the judgment.

He asked the attorney general to exercise prosecutorial powers within the 14 days, or, in the alternative, grant him and his legal team a fiat to prosecute the matter on behalf of the state.

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READ ALSO:Mohbad: What I Told Naira Marley Regarding Iyabo Ojo – VeryDarkMan

“Our Client, as a bereaved father desirous of ensuring that justice is done and seen to be done, is deeply concerned that notwithstanding the clear indictments contained in the Coroner’s Verdict, no prosecutorial steps have been taken against the aforementioned persons since the delivery of the Verdict on 11th July, 2025,” the letter reads.

The judicial observations amount to clear indictments warranting the prosecution of the said individuals in order to give full effect to the Coroner’s findings and recommendations, and to ensure that justice is manifestly and adequately served in this matter.

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“We request that you exercise your prosecutorial power on the above subject matter within 14 Days Next, in view of the high sensitivity of this matter and the public attention and outrage it has generated.”

In October 2023, Naira Marley and Sam Larry were arrested over allegations linking them to Mohbad’s death, but were released on bail after five weeks in detention.

By February 2025, a magistrate court cleared them of any involvement in the singer’s demise.

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