Author: Chief Editor

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the training of Presiding Officers (POs) and Assistant Presiding Officers (APO) on polling and counting procedures. The training exercise had commenced on October 19, 2020. The exercise came after the successful conduct of the training of Supervisory Presiding Officers in preparation for the 13 by-elections scheduled to hold on October 13, 2020. According to the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Ouekalmi, the training is being conducted in preparation for bye-elections to fill vacant seats in 13 constituencies. The by-elections will take place in the following senatorial districts: Bayelsa Central,…

Former United States Vice President and Democratic Presidential Candidate, Joe Biden, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to halt the violent ceackdown on pprotesters in Nigeria. In a statement, Biden noted that the violent crackdown had led to several deaths, adding “my heart goes out to all those who have lost a loved one in the violence.” He said the US must stand with Nigerians who are peacefully demonstrating for police reform and seeking an end to corruption in their democracy. Soldiers deployed to Lekki Tollgate in Lagos night Tuesday night shot and killed several peaceful young protesters and injured many…

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has imposed a 24-hour curfew on all parts of the state from 4pm Tuesday October 20. The governor clarified that nobody, except essential service providers and first responders, must be found on the streets. Sanwo-Olu said, “I have watched with shock how what began as a peaceful #EndSARS protest has degenerated into a monster that is threatening the well-being of our society. “Lives and limbs have been lost as criminals and miscreants are now hiding under the umbrella of these protests to unleash mayhem on our State”. He noted that, “As a government that…

A Plateau-based cleric, Prophet Isa El-Buba, has been invited by the Department of State Services to appear at its Jos office on Tuesday. It was learnt that the invitation of El-Buba, who is the General Overseer of the Evangelical Bible Outreach Ministries, was not unconnected with his participation in last Sunday’s prayer walk organised by #EndSARS protesters in Jos, the Plateau State capital. During the prayer walk held between the Old Airport Roundabout and the Secretariat Junction which attracted a large number of people mostly youths, the cleric insisted that Nigeria must be freed from bad leadership. A member of…

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said he will not sign the 2021 Appropriation Bill presently before the National Assembly if provisions are not made for the compensation of the families of victims of police brutality in the last decade. Gbajabiamila also said he would also not sign the budget if implementation of the agreement between the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Federal Government is not captured by the budget. Both the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate sign bills passed by the National Assembly before they are transmitted to the President for assent. In his opening…

Respected Nigerian singer Innocent Idibia better known as 2Baba has called for a total shutdown of the country in wake of the ongoing #EndSARS protest. The protest that has been ongoing for over a week in different parts of the country is calling for an end to police brutality in the country. The protests, which have gained momentum in days have seen several foreign and local celebrities add their voices to the cause. In a tweet shared on his Twitter page, the “Implication” singer wondered why some Nigerians are still going to work while the protests are ongoing. According to…

Mr. Lawrence Nwakaeti is an Imo State based legal practitioner and human rights activist. He is former Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Owerri branch. He was also a member, National Executive Council and Human Rights Commission of the NBA. In this interview with COLLINS OSUJI, he speaks on Nigerian judicial system, the recent banning of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, (SARS), among others. Nigeria just marked her 60th independence. In your opinion, what areas do you think need to be improved in our judicial system? He, who pays the piper, calls the tune. This particular aphorism is true when it comes…

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has predicted a spike in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak in the country in the next two weeks. Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman, Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, made this known on Monday in Abuja at the joint national briefing of the task force. Mustapha said the prediction was due to the total disregard for the preventive measures against the virus exhibited by thousands of Nigerians protesting in the ongoing #Endsars campaign across various cities in the country. The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that…

President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent speech in which he urged Nigerians to promote national unity above sectional interests should not be taken lightly as one of those sundry statements by a leader because the president too needs to examine the logs in his own eye, in this connection. Doubtless, the president’s opinion on public interest is relevant at this time that most right-thinking members of the public are quite concerned about cracks that have been noticed in managing issues that should promote national unity in this country with complex diversity. That statement from the throne should ordinarily be considered as a…

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) yesterday confirmed that COVID-19 killed 16 doctors, with 321 infected by the virus while treating patients. President, NMA, Prof. Innocent Ujah, confirmed this at a press conference to mark the 2020 Physicians’ Week in Lagos yesterday. “As of October 8, 2020, there were 1,031 doctors who were exposed to the virus in Nigeria and 321 confirmed cases. Sadly, 16 of our members were painfully lost in the battle to save the lives of Nigerians, with mortality rate of 4.98 per cent,” he said. According to him, marking this year’s Physicians’ Week calls for sober reflection,…