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Plateau Senate Election: PDP Group Gives INEC 72hours to Declare Gotom Winner

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From Jude Dangwam, Jos

A political group known as “PDP Central Zone Forum” has issued a 72hours ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare Amb. Golkuna Gotom of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of Plateau Central Senatorial Zone election conducted on 25 February, 2023.

The Forum threatened legal action against the Commission over the unwarranted delay on the election they alleged was rigged massively in nine registration areas in Kanam Local Government Area (LGA) that resulted to an increase in the number of votes against the number of accredited persons in the election.

The Forum led by the former Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Rt.

Hon. Titus Alams made this position known while addressing its supporters and members at the INEC headquarters yesterday in Jos the Plateau State capital.

Alams said they will resist vehemently any attempt to subvert the will of the people of Central Zone who according to him voted for the PDP and is at victory already; adding that there were cases of “mutilation of results, over voting in nine registration areas in Kanam LGA, non-usage of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) in Kanam, and casting errors in Mangu LGA.

“Any attempt by a group of persons, individuals or INEC to subvert the will of the people will be vehemently rejected. Our candidate Amb. G.Y Gotom who scored the highest number of votes cast during the election therefore should be announced winner by the INEC within 72 hours or the electorates in the Central Zone will take every legal action to compel the INEC to do so,” he posited.

However, a PDP stalwart, General John Sura at the INEC headquarters said they are at the headquarters as a follow- up to the petition of the PDP through the party’s Agent to remind them of the need to declare the result of the election that is running into a month based on the substance contained in the petition.

The PDP Senatorial candidate, Amb. Gotom while responding to questions from newsmen said; “The entire collation of the results of Kanam LGA shows clear cases of over-voting in all the 14 Wards.

“The number of accredited voters in the 14 Wards from information in the BVAS is 49,092. The total votes cast on the day of election as collated is 72,351. This means there is an over-voting of 23,479 votes!. So, the vertical and horizontal line must be equal,” he strongly stated.

Mrs. Tina Shehu a party stalwart expressed concern on the lingering delay in announcing the results which she warned is capable of plunging the zone into crisis when the mandate of the people is subverted.

Supporters of the Senatorial candidate were carrying placards with various inscriptions inside the INEC headquarters such as mutilation of results is criminal in accordance with Electoral Act, Kanem EO must Go, No-rerun, review Kanam result, Mutilation of results is an outright cancellation, Casting errors-Kanam, Over voting-Kanam, Calculate our result, Electoral Officer Kanam, among others.

POLITICS

Poverty, Behind Deadly Stampedes Across Nigeria, says Falana

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By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, on Sunday attributed the deadly stampede that claimedmore than 105 lives in stampedes during food and cash distribution events to “poverty-induced neoliberal economic policies” and “criminal negligence.

In a statement released on Sunday, Falana, who chairs the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond ASCAB, demanded justice for victims of the tragic events, saying, “These tragic events are a national shame, the victims were not just statistics but human beings driven to desperation by systemic poverty and the gross incompetence of those entrusted with their safety.

On December 21, 12 people died and 32 others were injured in Okija, Anambra State, during a scramble for rice distributed by a philanthropist.

On the same day, a stampede at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja, resulted in the deaths of 10 individuals, including children, as over 3,000 people jostled for palliatives.

Just two days prior, on December 19, 35 children lost their lives in a stampede at a Christmas funfair at an Islamic High School, Basorun. in Ibadan, Oyo State.

“The loss of these innocent lives is heart-wrenching,” Falana lamented.

“It underscores the indignity that poverty imposes on our people.”

Falana also criticized the elite for their treatment of the poor during such events, stating, “No member of the elite invites others to lunch by throwing the food,” and condemned what he termed “class prejudice” in the distribution of humanitarian aid.

He also announced plans to mobilize lawyers to pursue civil suits against the organizers of these events.

“We will ensure survivors and families of the deceased are adequately compensated,” Falana affirmed. “Those responsible for these avoidable tragedies must be held accountable.”

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POLITICS

2025 budget: LP Chieftain Lauds Tinubu for Diving Priority to Security, Others

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Dr Ayo Olorunfemi, National Deputy Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) ,has commended  President Bola Tinubu for giving  priority to security and other key sectors in the 2025 Appropriation Bill .

Olorunfemi gave the commendation while speaking with newsmeon Thursday in Lagos.

NAN reports that the President had on Wednesday  presented  the N47.

9 trillion 2025 Appropriation Bill , christened “Budget of Restoration, Securing Peace and Rebuilding Prosperity” , to a joint session of the National Assembly .

The President listed highlights of the 2025 budget allocations to include: defense and security: N4.91 trillion; infrastructure: N4.06 trillion; Health: N2.

48 trillion and Education: N3.52 trillion.

Reacting , Olorunfemi  described security as an enabler of development.

He called on the President to ensure proper implementation ,saying budgets had always been well-crafted but usually lacked monitoring and implementation.

“There is nothing that can happen if there is no security. This is good if the budget is properly utilised for the purpose.

“Our problem is not about policies and budgets, it is about monitoring and implementation.

“There is nothing wrong in bringing a budget proposal forward in terms of expectation, what we want to do, how we want to do it, and how much we want to spend.

“Now, the most important thing is the implementation,, budgets in Nigeria have always been properly crafted,” the LP boss said.

Olorunfemi called on the President to build strong institutions to prevent sabotaging of his policies.

“If this government wants to do anything, it must wake up to the responsibility of monitoring policies and ensure  severe penalty for anyone who attempts to sabotage such policies.

“We need institutions that no one will be able to interfere with. We must allow these institutions to work, that is what we expect.

“Once we have strong institutions, most of our problems are solved,” he said.

He  also called on the President to take steps to address  the problems experienced by Nigerians in the banking sector.

Olorunfemi  decried the inability of many Nigerians to get cash at  bank’s Automated Teller Machines and the high charges paid  to get cash from Point of Sales (POS) operators.

The LP boss also urged the President to devise ways of  ending multiple taxations and high fuel price, describing them as major causes  of  hardship .

Recalled that the President said that the budget was a demonstration of government’s commitment to stabilising the economy, improving lives and repositioning the country for greater performance.

He also said the budget sought to consolidate the key policies instituted to restructure the economy, boost human capital development, increase the volume of trade and investments and bolster oil and gas production. (NAN)

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Atiku hails Ndimi’s Oriental Energy on commissioning of first FPSO 

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By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

The former Vice President of Nigeria and PDP Presidential flag bearer in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar has congratulated the Chairman of the Nigerian Independent producer, Oriental Energy Resources (OER), Muhammadu Indimi, on the successful completion and commissioning of the Okwok Field’s Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel/platform in Dubai.

In a statement in Abuja by his Media Office in Abuja on Wednesday, the Former Vice President described the commissioning of the FPSO as one of the most gladdening news coming out from the upstream subsector of Nigeria’s oil industry in recent times.

“The vessel’s deployment at the Okwok field is expected to significantly increase Nigeria’s crude oil output, contributing to the government’s revenue growth and economic development objectives,” he said.

According to Atiku, “This is the first FPSO entirely funded by an indigenous Nigerian company and this landmark achievement being championed by OER showcases the rising capability of Nigerian firms in conceptualising and successfully executing complex projects in the nation’s upstream oil industry.

The successful building and commissioning of the FPSO marks a significant step toward enabling an indigenous oil and gas company to independently develop a marginal oil field. 

This development marks an important milestone for Nigeria and its indigenous energy sector, he said.

“No doubt, this latest investment would boost economic growth, generate job opportunities for Nigerians, and ensure steady growth and development of not only the oil sector but the nation’s economy in general.”

He described Indimi as a man who so much believes in the capabilities that exist in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

“From onset of his foray into the nation’s oil sector, his vision of standing out as a player of reckon in the nation’s upstream oil business has been top-notch,” he said.

As he said, Oriental Energy’s significant investment in the oil sector has set a new standard in local investment and operational excellence in the nation’s oil business, benefiting both the company and its partners.

The 40,000 barrels per day capacity facility constructed by the Singaporean firm HBA Future Energy will commence sailing to Nigerian waters beginning February 2025 for hook-up on the Okwok Oil Field. Production is expected to commence on the oil field in the first half of next year.

Okwok Oil Field, discovered by ExxonMobil in 1967, is located in Oil Mining Lease(OML) 67, in 31 metres water depth in shallow marine, southeast offshore Nigeria with estimated recoverable reserves of 45 million barrels. OER has an ongoing multi-well drilling campaign on the field that commenced in October 2023.

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