POLITICS
Nasarawa State FA Election: Controversy Over Alkali’s Return

..Case Still in Court
By Ben Nwachukwu, Abuja
The time bomb waiting to explode in Nasarawa State Football Association may have reached the hottest point as the Mohammed Alkali led board of the state went ahead to reelect self without addressing the issues and objections raised by the stakeholders.
The election was said to have taken place at a hidden venue in Nasarawa Eggon instead of the original venue in Lafia agreed by the stakeholders as fear of disruption from the aggrieved stakeholders gripped the Electoral Committee.
Our investigations revealed that the Alkali led board on sensing that the camp of the nine aspirants purportedly disqualified from participating in the elections would storm the venue to protest against their unconstitutional disqualification, secretly moved the venue away from Lafia.
The disqualified Chairmanship aspirant, Haliru Ibrahim who confirmed to DAILY ASSET Sports in a telephone chat that the state FA went ahead to conduct the election without recourse to unattended matters said that his team would stop at nothing in their bid to ensure justice prevails.
He insisted that the NFF refused to do the needful thereby supporting the illegality perpetrated by Alkali and his cohorts.
According to him, “They said they have conducted the election and under the supervision of their masters from the NFF who have from the onset given them the backing to act with impunity regardless of the complaints from the stakeholders of the game in the state. But it is only a time bomb waiting to explode and it will surely explode because Nasarawa State is not governed by the NFF.”
He maintained that his team is in Court to seek justice and ensure their constitutional rights will not suffer denial even with the purported election.
Ibrahim wondered why the present NFF President Amaju Pinnick and his board have resolved to shut everyone other than those he sees as his “boys” out from the country’s football administration adding that the act does not augur well for the country which is seen as the giant of Africa in all ramifications.
“Why should NFF keep mum over the dirty activities that shrouded the elections processes even when we gave them the deserved recognition by petitioning against the actions of the Electoral Committee acting on the instructions of Alkali. They received our petitions quite right but refused to attend to it thereby confirming Alkali’s claim that they are behind him to return as Nasarawa State FA Chairman so that they would continue to under develop the state’s football. We will not accept it.”
Meanwhile, Chairman of the state FA electoral committee, Barr. Abdullahi Mohammed said his committee went ahead to conduct the election because the Court did not give any injunction stopping the election.
He claimed that the aggrieved persons did not meet the requirements of the guidelines for the election and even failed to appeal at the appropriate time.
Mohammed confirmed that he is aware that the case is in Court but insists that he did not disobey the court because there was no injunction rather, the Judge adjourned the case to another date.
POLITICS
SDP urges President Tinubu, IG to call Kogi CP to order

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Tuesday urged President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector General of Police (IG) to call the Kogi Commissioner of police (CP) to order over his attitude towards its governorship candidate.
The Chairman, SDP Campaign Council, Kogi East, Mr Hassan Yakubu, made the call during a press conference in Lokoja.
Yakubu said recent remarks by the CP, Onuoha Bethrand, were incriminating against the party and its governorship candidate, Alhaji Muritala Ajaka.
He said the situation became more worrisome when the CP claimed that SDP’s rally of Sept.
29 was without police permission, and that Ajaka had refused to honour invitations for discussion and was causing crises in the state.“As a party, we are neither comfortable nor happy with such a blanket statement of lies and indictment coming from an institution that is supposed to be neutral.
“But what the public should know is that we had police and DSS approvals for the rally at Koton Karfe, where opposition party’s thugs attacked us and ended up killing one of their own.
“There are videos on how thugs invaded our campaign venue, destroyed chairs and canopies even at the palace of the traditional ruler our candidate visited.
“But for the state commissioner of police to turn round and accuse our party with emphasis on our candidate is uncalled for.
“We are calling on the president and the IG to call the CP to order because we are no longer safe with his attitude towards us,” he said.
According to the campaign council chairman, the party has always been on the defensive side following series of attacks unleashed on its supporters even when “we operate by the rules and Electoral Act.”
He said the police must change its attitude towards SDP to enable it participate fully in the Nov. 11 governorship election and emerge victorious considering the pedigree of its candidate.
Yakubu argued that the party was sure of victory at governorship election and described the followership of Ajaka as massive across the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CP through the Command’s Public Relation Officer, SP Williams Ovye-Aya, had issued a press statement on Sunday accusing SDP and its candidate of some infractions in the state.
“For the record, several invitations extended to the SDP and ADC Candidates for interaction and consultation with the Police to shed light, provide explanations and give their own side of the story on Petitions written against them were to no avail.
“His (SDP Candidate’s) refusal to deal with the police is undermining peace in the state, has been impeding efforts to stream-line and regulate political activities.
“It has in turn, greatly contributed to the pockets of political violence being witnessed in the State presently. His riding rough-shod and engaging in political brinkmanship and brigandage is an ill-wind that blows no one any good,” said the CP.
POLITICS
Edo Deputy Gov Shaibu Dedicates New Office Ahead Of Resumption

Comrade Philip Shaibu, the deputy governor of Edo state dedicated his new office on Tuesday, October 3, ahead of his resumption.
A video shared online showed over 10 priests praying, blessing and spraying holy water inside and outside the premises as other voices can be heard singing hymns and other songs.
Recall that Shaibu’s office was relocated from the state government house after he fell out with his principal, Godwin Obaseki.
The politicians fell out after Shuaibu declared his intention to seek election as governor of the state after Obaseki completes his tenure.
This caused a rift between them as Obaseki did not hide his disapproval. He took several steps including relocating Shaibu’s office out of the state government house.
They have however settled their differences after Shaibu tendered a public apology to Obaseki.
POLITICS
You Didn’t Submit Your UNN Certificate To INEC – Omokri Tells Peter Obi

Former Presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has taken a swipe at Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of Labour Party, LP, for questioning the legitimacy of the academic records of President Bola Tinubu.
Peter Obi had, while reacting to the university certificate issues surrounding Tinubu, said people should be honest about their qualifications, insisting that educational qualification is not even a criterion to be a good President.
He cited some American leaders who lacked good educational backgrounds.The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, obtained victory in his fierce legal battle to probe the academic qualification of Tinubu in the February 25 presidential poll.
Tinubu had supplied certificates from the Chicago State University, CSU, to INEC to secure eligibility to participate in the election.
A United States of America court on Saturday ordered CSU to release Tinubu’s academic records for verification and in support of Atiku’s petition challenging the result of the 2023 presidential poll.
Justice Nancy Maldonado, in a judgment, dismissed the objection raised by Tinubu against Atiku’s request and expressly ordered that the CSU must submit the academic records to Atiku.
And on Monday evening, the records were made available to the PDP leader, although the authenticity is still being questioned by some sections of social media users.
But Reno is calling out the Labour Party candidate for even suggesting that there could have been a fake certificate somewhere.
“Peter Obi, Chicago State University, has backed Bola Tinubu’s certificate and stands by the legitimacy of his academic credentials,” he wrote on X.
“Only yesterday morning, you were on AriseTV accusing a certain leader of having a ‘fake certificate.’
“Now, answer this question: Why did you not tender your own degree from the University of Nigeria Nsukka to the INEC?”