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Wike Declares 28 Opposition Members Wanted, Cole, Abe, Lulu-Briggs, Others Kick

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The governorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress, Tonye Cole, Social Democratic Party, Magnus Abe, Africa Democratic Congress, Tonte Ibraye, Accord Party, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs have led hundreds of their supporters in Rivers State on a protest to the headquarters of police in Rivers State alleged intimidation by the state government.

This was coming as the governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, in his statewide broadcast, Thursday, declared 28 persons who are in opposition to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, wanted.

Wike declared wanted, Dr Leloonu Nwibubasa, Gabriel Pidomson, Bright Nwinyoodee, Barika Bareh, Friday Sinee, Dumbari Deezua, Neeka Ikina, Giobari Poiba, Barisi Bonikoo, Mike Amachree, Paul Lawrence Paul, Anosike Odua, Mr. Ogbams, Ojimah, Kenneth Chinda Smiles Azundah.

Others are, Gift Welebe., Nwobueze Amadi, Chidi Wosa, Ugochukwu Wosu, Ndidi Erim, Lucky Mmai, Baridi Edmund Katara, Solo Filiman, Charles Anyanwu, Christian Don Pedro,Iworiabo Amachree and Arokosimiya Ikalama.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Rivers Gov Candidates Protest At Police Headquarters, Accuse Wike Of Intimidation

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The aggrieved opposition governorship candidates and their supporters in the protest raised the alarms over activities of Local Government Council Chairmen in collaboration with security agencies who have been allegedly instructed to execute the orders of arresting members of the opposition parties.

Speaking, the Governorship Candidate of APC, Tonye Cole, urged the Inspector General of Police to instruct that no political arrest must happen and those arrested must be released immediately.

Cole expressed concerns that the secuity has been compromised, adding that the governor is using the police to intimidate supporters of other political parties in the state.

Cole said: “We are here based on some disturbing things we are seeing in the political settings in the state. This is a multi-party decision. We have on good record that we are being victimized, intimidated our members are being arrested.

READ ALSO:Governorship Poll: Gunmen Abduct APC LG Secretary In Rivers

“The governor, Chief Nyesom Wike have an instruction to all local government chairmen to intimidate the people of Rivers State. This will not happen.

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“As we speak now party members across board are being arrested. We came to the command, we met the CP briefly. He said will go out and be back in an hour, but we have waited patiently he is not back.

“We told him what the situation was. But he said he is not aware of what is happening in the state. There is an AIG posted for this election, who does not know that people are being arrested in this State. Election cannot hold under this situation.”

Similarly, the candidate of Accord, Chief Lulu-Briggs urged police to ensure that citizens were given a secured atmosphere to peaceful vote their choice.

He said: “I want to ask the police to make sure that people have confidence in the system. After the 25th February election there were a lot of complains by young people asking us as if we were INEC, what happened to their votes.

READ ALSO: Wike Came Against Me In Rivers, I Won More Than 50% – Peter Obi

“Rivers State will not continue to be a hot bed whenever there is an election. All focus will always be on Rivers State because of violence. That has to be changed.”

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However, Candidate of the SDP, said poor policing during the Saturday’s poll would only cause insecurity, urging the police to give equal playing field to all parties.

Abe said: “I want to draw attention to a few salient points, that motivated me to join this effort. Last night the governor of Rivers State made a broadcast. In that broadcast he named several persons who are to be arrested and ordered the police to declare them wanted, arrested and prosecute them immediately.

“Most of the persons named in that broadcast are simply those who have been campaigning for other political parties. A lot of them are members of SDP including a Nigeria citizen who just flew into this country just to participate in this election. Because he put up bill boards and campaigned SDP his name was included as somebody who should be arrested.

“It is instructive that Rivers people should note that we are in this state. Dynamites have been thrown into the houses of prominent of Rivers sons. One of it is the case of the young man who went to throw bomb into the home of Good Jaja. He was shot there and his GDI and Taskforce ID cards were found and he is known. Up till today the police has refused to say anything about it. He was allowed to bleed to death. Non of his colleagues or accomplices were arrested. Nobody was declared wanted.

“This kind of policing will only breed insecurity. The governor has no constitutional right to declare any citizen wanted.”

 

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INEC Disowns LP’s National Convention

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The Independent National Electoral Commission has disowned Wednesday’s Labour Party‘s national convention held in Anambra.

The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, said this in Abuja on Thursday.

Oyekanmi said that the conduct of the convention was not monitored by INEC, declining to state further why it was not monitored.

The LP had on Tuesday shifted the national convention from Umuahia in Abia to Nnewi, Anambra State.

Speaking on the venue change, the LP National Legal Adviser, Mr Kehinde Edun, told newsmen that the party had duly informed INEC about the change in venue and date.

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READ ALSO: [BREAKING] Edo Guber: Labour Party Aspirant Withdraws From Race, Cites Monetisation 

No, it is holding in Anambra. Nnewi, to be precise, not Umuahia in Abia State again. In fact, Umuahia was not even the first venue we chose. Benin was the first choice before we changed to Umuahia and now Nnewi.

“So, we are at liberty to pick any venue of our choice. We only need to inform INEC about the change in venue and the time,” Edun said.

Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 states that political parties shall give INEC at least 21 days’ notice of convention, congress, conference or meeting.

This includes the convention or meeting convened for “merger” and electing members of its executive committees and other governing bodies or nominating candidates.

(NAN)

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Labour Party Reserves 2027 Presidential Ticket For Peter Obi

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…Oti Gets automatic ticket for Abia Guber

The Labour Party’s highest decision making body, the National Convention, has announced it has reserved its 2027 ticket for the party’s leader, Mr. Peter Obi.

In the same breath, the party also announced a right of first refusal for the Abia State Governor, Alex Oti, should he decide to seek reelection on the party’s platform.

This decision was contained in a Communique issued after the party’s National Convention, held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday.

It was signed by the re-elected National Chairman of the party, Comrade Julius Abure, and National Secretary, Umar Faruk Ibrahim.

READ ALSO: Abure Re-elected Labour Party National Chairman; NLC Kicks

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The communique read in part: “The Convention in session based on the antecedents of the Presidential candidate before, during and after the 2023 General Election recommend that the 2027 Presidential ticket of the party be solely reserved for His Excellency, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi, the National leader of the party.

“Furthermore, the Convention in session reviewed ongoing development and performance of its Governor in Abia state, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti and pass a vote of confidence on him and recommend the 2027 Abia state Gubernatorial ticket of the party be reserved for His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti.”

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Edo Guber: 17 Parties Beat INEC Deadline For Candidates’ Nomination

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Seventeen out of 18 political parties who conducted primaries for the forthcoming Edo State Governorship Election have beaten the deadline for the nomination of their candidates on the special portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this in a statement issued Tuesday in Abuja.

He said, “Following the conclusion of party primaries, 27 political parties have uploaded their candidates’ nomination forms for the Edo State Governorship Election by the deadline of 6 p.m. on March 24, 2024, when the dedicated portal automatically shut down.”

According to him, the personal particulars of the governorship candidates and their running mates will be published on Saturday, March 30, 2024, a week from the last date for the submission of nominations as provided in Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.

READ ALSO: Edo 2024: Igbinedion Breaks Silence On Obaseki’s Handling Of PDP, Party’s Choice Of Running Mate

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The Commission shall publish the personal particulars by displaying copies of Form EC9 along with all academic credentials and other documents submitted by each candidate at the state headquarters and the 18 local government offices across Edo State.

“We appeal to Nigerians to scrutinise the documents. Any aspirant who participated in his/her party primaries with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by the candidate is false can challenge the nomination in a Federal High Court as provided in Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022.

“The Edo State Governorship Election is scheduled to hold on Saturday, September 21, 2024,” he stated.

 

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