Gambia‘s former Vice President Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang has been appointed to lead a 40-member ECOWAS observer team to monitor the general elections in Togo.

According to Dr Omar Touray, President of ECOWAS Commission, the team is to monitor the legislative and regional elections in Togo scheduled for April 29.

A statement by the commission’s spokesman, Joel Ahofodji, explained that the observation mission was deployed following the recommendations of a pre-election fact-finding mission to Togo after a visit to assess preparatory phases.

The mission is in line with the provisions of Article 12 of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.

“The mission is made up of Ambassadors from Member-States accredited to ECOWAS, representatives of the ECOWAS Court of Justice and Parliament, Civil Society Organisations, media professionals and election observers.

“During its stay in Togo, the observation mission will hold consultations with the main stakeholders in the electoral process and monitor the voting process,” the statement said.

The Young Progressives Congress (YPP) in Ondo State has elected John Akinmurele as its candidate for the November 16 governorship election in the state.

The election was held in Akure, the state capital on Saturday, April 27, 2024, where delegates from the 18 local government areas of the state converged for the exercise.

In his address, the Chairman of YPP in Ondo State, Dotun Ojon, boasted of the quality of leaders in the party. He appealed to all party faithful to always be of good conduct during the election.

Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were present to observe the exercise.

Delegates from the 18 local government areas of the state were called out, and queued behind their preferred aspirant.

At the end of the exercise, the Chairman of the Primary Election Committee, Williams Moses, declared the results.

He said that 89 out of the 90 accredited delegates voted for Akinmurele in the election.

In his acceptance speech, the YPP governorship candidate appreciated the election committee for conducting the election orderly.

He equally appreciated the delegates as well as the INEC observers in attendance.

He challenged the delegates to rise up as youths and take over the mantle of leadership. He assured them that YPP is ready to put in place good governance in Ondo State.

The exercise witnessed the election committee chairman presenting the certificate of return as well as the flag of the party to the candidate.

The candidate, Akinmurele, hails from Ilutitun in the Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The 43-year-old is a graduate of Accounting Education from the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, in 2005.

He also bagged a Master’s Degree in Legal Criminology and Security Psychology at the University of Ibadan in 2013.

He served at the Department of State Services (DSS) for 13 years until he retired voluntarily in 2022.

Akinmurele would lock horns with other candidates including Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa who recently secured the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket and Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), amongst others for the November 16, 2024 election in the state

The Judicial Panel of Inquiry on the Recovery of Government Property and Funds says it has recovered a Toyota Hilux vehicle from the former Chairman of Abia State Oil Producing Communities Development Commission, ASOPADEC, Sam Nwogu.

According to the panel, the former ASOPADEC chairman said that the vehicle was bequeathed to him by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

Speaking during the cross examination, the Chairman of the Panel Justice Florence Duruoha-Igwe, rtd, said that evidence clearly showed that that the vehicle in question was used by head of the Works Department in ASOPADEC, Mr Gberemakor Chukwuemeka.

Justice Duruoha-Igwe said efforts made to trace if the vehicle was bequeathed to Nwogu by NDDC have not been successful. She therefore directed that the vehicle to be parked at the panel’s premises.

She noted that Nwogu failed to adhere to the notice served on him to produce the vehicle for physical Inspection by the panel.

In his submission, the Lead Counsel to the Panel , H .N. Doruoha said Nwogu failed to comply with the directive of the panel, adding that the notice served on him clearly stated that he should produce the said vehicle for inspection.

Counsel to Sam Nwogu, A .S. Amaramiro, had argued the vehicle in contention was not allocated to him by the Abia State Government but by the NDDC.(daily post)