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It’s Time to Settle Down To Rebuild Abia- Gov. Otti

Abia State Governor,  Alex Otti says he will now settle down and rebuild the state because his distractions were over with the Supreme Court affirmation of victory in the 2023 polls.

Otti made the declaration at the Thanksgiving Service in his honour held at the Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA), Eastern Union Conference Headquarters, on Saturday at Abayi Umueze in Osisioma local government area (LGA).

“Now that the distractions are over; that the storm is over, I will settle down and rebuild Abia,” he pledged.

He said he contested elections three times because of the shame he faced each time he was confronted about the status of the state.

He said that many people lost hope in his being elected again because he won the election on two occasions but his mandate was stolen.

“We have been through this journey and today we are here as the Supreme court has confirmed that we won the election,” he added.

He thanked the church for honouring him and encouraged the people to continue believing in God’s power to do all things.

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Politics

Our Chairman not in contempt of court – INEC replies SERAP

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has refuted accusations by the Socio-economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, that its chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu flouted a court order regarding the prosecution of electoral offenders.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, said this in a statement Wednesday in Abuja.

Olumekun said the commission’s attention was drawn to media reports attributed to SERAP accusing the Commission of failure or neglect to prosecute electoral offenders arising from the 2023 General Election.

Recall that SERAP had specifically accused the Commission of failure to engage independent counsels to prosecute unnamed Governors and Deputy Governors for sundry violations of electoral laws.

SERAP also accused the Commission of failing to engage private lawyers to prosecute other electoral offences, including vote buying during the same election. These allegations are untrue in the face of facts already in the public domain, the agency said.

Reacting, INEC said Governors and Deputy Governors have constitutional immunity from prosecution and that SERAP cannot be unaware of this constitutional provisions.

The electoral umpire further stated that in any case, it has no record that any of them has been arrested, or investigated and a prima facie case was established to initiate their prosecution.

“Furthermore, if SERAP had done a basic fact check, it would have known that at the end of the 2023 General Election, the Commission announced that it received 215 case files from the Nigeria Police following the arrest and investigation of alleged violators of the electoral laws across the country.

These include 52 files involving 238 alleged offenders during the Presidential and National Assembly elections and 163 files in respect of 536 suspects for the Governorship and State Assembly elections.

“It is important to also inform the public that the Commission’s commitment to the prosecution of electoral offenders is not limited to persons who are outside the Commission.

Indeed, officials of the Commission, some of them highly placed, have been affected, including a Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) currently being prosecuted in a High Court in Yola,” INEC said.

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Politics

Ondo guber: Parties to sign peace accord November 8

The various political parties participating in the forthcoming Ondo State governorship election will sign a Peace Accord on November 8.

The National Peace Committee and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, coordinated the initiative aimed at securing a peaceful election process.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, announced this on Thursday in Abuja, saying the Commission has identified potential flashpoints in Ondo and alerted security agencies for effective conflict mapping.

Speaking during the fourth quarterly meeting with Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, Yakubu noted that INEC would conduct a final readiness assessment next week, involving stakeholders, officials, security agencies, and transport providers.

The INEC boss also shared that the Permanent Voter’s Cards, PVC collection period concluded recently, with 64,273 out of 89,777 PVCs distributed—a collection rate of 71.6%.

He credited CSOs with helping mobilize voters for card collection and indicated that INEC would publish cumulative PVC collection figures by polling unit on its website.

Yakubu expressed satisfaction with improvements to the voter accreditation process and result upload procedures, as well as enhancements in media and observer accreditations.

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Fubara appeals court judgement stopping Rivers government allocation

The Rivers State Government on Wednesday, October 30, officially filed an appeal against the recent Federal High Court ruling that restrained the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from disbursing federal allocations to the state.

The judgment, issued by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, restricts Governor Siminalayi Fubara from accessing allocations until the state’s 2024 budget is presented before a legitimate Rivers House of Assembly.

Justice Abdulmalik’s ruling declared that Fubara’s previous budget presentations were unconstitutional, as they bypassed the Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers House of Assembly, which is aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. Fubara, a former political ally of Wike, is alleged to have authorized disbursements without proper legislative approval.

The ruling also restrains the CBN, the Accountant-General of the Federation, and the state’s bank partners from enabling access to the state’s funds until compliance with constitutional guidelines is established.

Rivers State’s Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, expressed confidence that the Appeal Court would overturn the ruling. He highlighted issues within the High Court’s procedures, including the judge’s refusal to allow certain council chairmen to join the case as defendants. Johnson emphasized the government’s position that the judgment, if upheld, could affect local government workers and essential services across the state.

Following the judgment, prominent political figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and representatives from the Peoples Democratic Party, expressed concern over the judiciary’s increasing involvement in political disputes. Atiku condemned what he described as politically influenced rulings, cautioning that the judiciary’s reputation was at risk.

Pro-Wike factions and supporters of the Amaewhule-led Assembly celebrated the decision as a reinforcement of the rule of law.

Meanwhile, civil society organizations also weighed in, with the Centre for Accountability and Open Leadership arguing that Fubara’s unilateral budget actions undermined democratic principles.

As Rivers State moves to appeal the decision, the judiciary’s role in political crises continues to stir debate nationwide. Both sides await the Appeal Court’s response, which is expected to clarify the balance of power between state governments and the federal judiciary.

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