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Protester’s Death: Rivers APC Kicks As Police Invite Gov Candidate, Tonye Cole

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The Rivers State Police Command on Tuesday invited the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Tonye Cole, for questioning over the death of a Peoples Democratic Party’s supporter who was allegedly shot during a protest in Port Harcourt on Monday.

Supporters of the PDP had protested at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission along Aba Road on Monday, demanding a joint inspection of documents used for the March 18 governorship election but the protest turned violent.

Cole, accompanied by the state APC Chairman, Emeka Beke, and few other party leaders, arrived the GRA junction area of Aba Road on Monday to proceed to the INEC office to keep a date with the promise by the commission for them to inspect the Certified True Copy documents to enable the party proceed to the tribunal.

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READ ALSO: JUST IN: Political Thugs Attack, Beat Up Tonye Cole, Rivers APC Chairman In Port Harcourt

On hearing that Cole was nearby, the protesters raced towards his direction and pelted him with pure water sachets and stones; but for his security details who shielded him, he could have been mobbed.

Cole in an interview with newsmen later said, “They slapped me, they pushed me, threw stones at me and I was injured on my back.”

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A clash ensued between Cole’s security men and the rampaging youths, resulting in indiscriminate gunshots by security operatives to disperse the crowd, even as it was gathered that some thugs also shot indiscriminately and the man was hit in the crossfire.

READ ALSO: Why Arrested APC Lawyers Were Released – Rivers Police

The injured PDP supporter bled profusely on his left leg and was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

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But speaking to our correspondent, the State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Sydney Gbara, said the injured man later died in the hospital.

From the information we are hearing now, the man is dead,” he said.

When contacted, the State Commissioner of Police, Okon Effiong, confirmed in a text response that Cole had been invited, saying, “It is just an invitation.”

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READ ALSO: Why We Arrested Rivers APC Lawyers – Police

On Monday, Cole was seen in a video shouting and calling on the Commissioner of Police to come and rescue him at the APC secretariat, saying some thugs laid siege on the party’s office along Woji Road, GRA, in Port Harcourt.

Meanwhile it was gathered that a formal letter inviting Cole was sent to the state secretariat of the APC.

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The State APC Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju, who confirmed that Cole was invited for questioning, questioned why the police had failed to invite the PDP leaders named in the attack on its governorship candidate, Cole.

“It is shocking that the police are inviting our candidate, Cole, for questioning over a said killing. What is the identity of the person killed?

“They attacked and chased us away. They are now inviting him (Cole) for questioning. How? Does it add up?” he queried.

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On his part, the State APC Chairman, Chief Emeka Beke, noted that though he had yet to see any invitation, it was laughable, The PUNCH reports.

Beke said, “There were just seven of us and they were many. They did not even allow us to get to the INEC office. Just by the GRA junction, they started attacking us. At what point will anybody kill somebody?”

 

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Ambassadorial Nominees: Ndume Asks Tinubu To Withdraw List

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Ahead of the Senate’s screening and confirmation of the ambassadorial nominees sent to the Red Chamber by the Presidency, former Senate Leader Ali Ndume has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to withdraw the list from parliament.

The federal lawmaker declared that the composition of nominees was in clear breach of the Federal Character principle, as enshrined in the Constitution.

Checks revealed that while certain states have three and four nominees, states like Gombe have no representation, while the only nominee from Yobe, Senator Adamu Garba Talba, died last July.

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The entire North East state has 7 nominees in the list.

Further checks revealed that the South West geopolitical zone has 15 nominees, while the North West and South East have 13 and 9, respectively.

READ ALSO:Full List: FG Releases Names Of 68 ambassadorial Nominees Sent To Senate For Confirmation

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North Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominees, while South South region has 12 nominees.

The Senate President at plenary on Thursday formally read the list of nominees and referred it to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs for further legislative action.

The Senator representing Borno South in a statement issued on Saturday maintained that the list of nominees was in clear breach of Section 14(3) of the Nigerian Constitution which mandates that the composition and conduct of the federal government must reflect the “federal character of Nigeria” to ensure national unity and loyalty.

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The section reads: “The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.”

READ ALSO:Tinubu Submits Fresh Ambassadorial List To Senate, Ibas, Dambazau Make Cut

The former Chief Whip of the Senate admonished President Tinubu to avoid taking decision that will fuel ethnic tension and promote distrust in the country, amidst the wrong narrative being promoted by the Western world against his administration.

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He said: “My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical time in the life of his administration, he should avoid missteps that could endanger national unity and promote ethnic distrust.

“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholders in the country.

“He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on Federal Character Principle that government’s structure and operations must represent the diverse states and peoples of Nigeria.”

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PDP Issues Certificate Of Expulsion To Wike, Fayose, Anyanwu, Others

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it has issued certificate of expulsion from the party to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and other 10 members earlier expelled from the party.

The party National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen after the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

The other members, according to him, include the embattled National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, the Legal Adviser, Kamarudeen Ajibade, former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.

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They also included Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa, Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah Nnanna, George Turna and Chief Dan Orbih, expelled during the party National convention in Lagos.

READ ALSO:BREAKING: Drama As Wike-backed PDP Expels Makinde, Mohammed, Dauda

Turaki said that the original copies of the certificate had been dispatched to the owners through a courier service to serve as proof that they were expelled from the PDP.

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“We have taken note of the fact that Nigerian law frowns on dual membership of political parties, and so we have sought to make it easy for them.

“Now that they are no longer members of our party, and now that the National Convention, which is the highest decision-making organ of our party, has expelled them, we have decided to issue them certificates of expulsion.

“So, when they go to register with other political parties in Nigeria, they will show these certificates as proof that they are no longer members of the PDP.

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“By that, those parties will not accuse them of trying to belong to more than one political party,” he said.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: PDP Axes Wike, Fayose, Anyanwu, Others For Anti-party Activities

He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services, and other government agencies, to take note.

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“Very soon, members of the society will be informed via proper disclaimers that any person henceforth who decides to do business with them, any or all of them, does so at his or her own risk.

“They are no longer members of the PDP. They have been expelled,” he added.

He added that the NWC also reviewed some of the cases filed against the party and lawsuits instituted by the party, particularly the one that related to the “unlawful and illegal” closure of the party’s national Secretariat, the Legacy House, and the Wadata Plaza.

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READ ALSO:Protest Rocks PDP National Secretariat As Wike-led Faction Takes Over

The brief we received from our lawyers is that we are on sound ground, and that very soon, the law will take its course,” he said.

Turaki said the NWC was prepared to be saddled with the responsibility of performing its functions as the leading opposition party in Nigeria.

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“We are going to provide a credible alternative to Nigerians. We are going to provide credible leadership to Nigerians by the special grace of God from 2027,” he said.

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Adebayo Adedamola Wins Osun PDP Governorship Primary

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Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola, popularly known as FRYO, has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the August 8, 2026 governorship election in Osun State.

The primary election took place in Osogbo on Tuesday amid heavy security presence.

Announcing the result, chairman of the primary election committee, Humphrey Abba, stated that Adebayo secured 919 votes out of 957 accredited ballots, giving him a clear victory in the contest.

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Explaining that there were 20 void votes following the withdrawal of one of the candidates, believed to be Governor Ademola Adeleke, Abba added, “The candidate that got the remaining votes is Adebayo Adedamola with 919 votes and he stands elected and returned.”

READ ALSO:Davido Reacts As Gov Adeleke Dumps PDP

DAILY POST reports that despite announcing his resignation from the party, Adeleke’s name appeared on the ballot paper for the PDP governorship primary.

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Party officials said the exercise was conducted in accordance with established guidelines, with accredited delegates participating in the voting process.

Adeleke announced his resignation in a letter dated November 4, 2025, and addressed to the PDP leadership at his ward.

On Monday, Osun PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, had announced that the governorship primary slated for Tuesday, December 2, 2025, has been postponed due to leadership crisis at the national level.

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But a faction of the party went ahead with the exercise in Osogbo on Tuesday.

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