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Edo Polls: Protest Rocks APC Headquarter in Abuja over alleged Election Irregularities

Published

2 years ago

February 24, 2024

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A member of the House of Representatives, Dennis Idahosa, alongside the Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, Anthony Edun, popularly known as Tony Kabaka have led supporters to protest at the party’s Headquarters in Abuja on Saturday against the primary won by Senator Monday Okpebholo, which they tagged election irregularities.

The protesters could be seen carrying placards with different inscriptions including, ‘Our mandate cannot be stolen or monetised’, ‘Mr President, call APC NWC to order’, ‘NWC, reward loyalty in Edo APC’ and ‘We say No to fictitious results.’

Three of the aspirants were claiming to have won the just concluded primary conducted to produce candidate for the governorship election scheduled for September 21.

Idahosa appealed to President Bola Tinubu to call the National Working Committee (NWC) to order, while threatening to drag the APC to court if justice is not done.

Idahosa said he has submitted a protest letter to the APC Governorship Appeal Committee, adding that he will take his time to go through the process after which he would proceed to court to fight for his right against the party.

His statement reads: “I am not here to make trouble, I am a lawmaker but one thing is that we want is justice. Today, I might be a young man but it might be the children of NWC members tomorrow. We have to do the right thing, if we continue to do what is wrong as a country, we are not going to move forward.

“So I am calling on Mr. President to call the NWC to order. Elections were held on February 17 what they did on 22 was just selection. I challenged one of the LGA returning officers to give me, show me a picture of him in the Local government Headquarters where he said he collated the results and he was just blabbing, there was nothing because I know that they were in the same Hotel in Benin, that’s where they wrote all the results.

“So my fellow party members, I am not here to make trouble, I am only here to seek justice, whatever they have done, if it is not properly managed, I have written yesterday to the appeal panel committee and I know they will do justice, even if whatever they did, I just want to go through the process, having exhausted the party’s resolve mechanism, I will go further, I will seek justice in the court of law and I will not allow this to stand.”

Also speaking, a lawyer and chieftain of the party from Edo State, who accompanied Idahosa alongside other party members, Bernard Ekun, said the party was trying to deliberately avoid APC from providing or getting a candidate for the election.

According to him, when something is inconclusive, it invariably means some places have been identified for primaries to be done in those places, adding that sadly enough, first, nobody came to the field from the other end.

He said, “The Governor who was in charge of the purportedly selection primaries said that it was going to be a fresh election. Between me and you, when you know the issue of INEC, there is supposed to be 21 days notices from INEC for that primary. Nothing of such and we are out of time.

“Are you people saying that the selection process you have done, which you called a fresh election should be acceptable to us? No. Our demands is that the 17 February 17 primaries stands. That is known to Law. What they have done is kangaroo selection.

“What these people have done is that they have sold their responsibility, the excellence in them, they have sold as reasonable men. They have sold it for a Chinese Cuisine, they have sold it for egg fries. But if you want to go to the Bible, they have sold it for a pot of porridge. And it will not stand!

“People were in the hotel sleeping, how will they have been able to get a result? Even INEC did not observe this selection, kangaroo thing they said they were doing. So what you have seen is that there is no election, we stand on 17th because that is the only one that is duly observe and fallen between the ambit of the law.

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Otunba Adekunle Ojora, Industrialist and broadcaster dies at 93

Ojora held significant interests in AGIP Petroleum Marketing, NCR Nigeria, and founded several private firms, including Nigerlink Industries, Unital Builders, and Lagos Investments, a holding company. In the wake of the Nigerian Enterprise Promotion Act.

Published

22 hours ago

January 28, 2026

OCHEFA

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• Photo of Otunba Adekunle Ojora

The Head of Ojora Royal Family of Lagos, on Wednesday announced the death of Otunba Adekunle Ojora at the age of 93.

He is survived by his wife, Erelu Ojuolape, and children, including, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, wife of former Senate President Bukola Saraki.

In a statement issued on behalf of the Ojora Family by Prince Adewale Taorid Ojora, stated that Otunba Ojora who was born on June 13th 1932, died on January the 28th 2026.

Widely celebrated as one of Nigeria’s most influential corporate leaders of the post-independence era,

Otunba Adekunle Ojora carved an exceptional legacy that spanned journalism, public service, politics, and big-ticket corporate governance.

He was Chairman of the Board of AGIP Nigeria Limited from 1971 until its acquisition by Unipetrol in 2002.

Ojora’s professional journey began in the early 1950s at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) after studying journalism at Regent Street Polytechnic, London.

He rose to the position of assistant editor, and later returned to Nigeria in 1955 to join the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) as a reporter.

He later moved to Ibadan, where he served as an information officer in the office of the then regional premier.In 1961, he transitioned into the corporate world, joining the United African Company (UAC) as Public Relations Manager and becoming an Executive Director in 1962.

His interest in commerce and enterprise deepened in the years that followed, marking the start of a lifelong influence in Nigerian boardrooms.

Following the military coup that ended the First Republic, Otunba Ojora was nominated to the Lagos City Council in 1966.

In 1967, he held two key appointments: Managing Director of WEMABOD, a regional property and investment company, and Chairman of the Nigerian National Shipping Line, succeeding Chief Kola Balogun.

After he left WEMABOD, he expanded his footprint as a major investor and entrepreneur.

He acquired equity stakes in numerous foreign companies operating in Nigeria, including Bowring Group, Inchcape, Schlumberger, Phoenix Assurance, UTC Nigeria, Evans Brothers, and Seven-Up.

Beyond the boardroom, Otunba Ojora was deeply rooted in tradition. He was the Otunba of Lagos, Lisa of Ife and Olori Omo Oba of Lagos.

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FCTA workers back to work in compliance with court orders

Our correspondent observed a steady flow of staff across departments, pointing to a gradual return to normal operations within the FCTA and FCDA.

Published

22 hours ago

January 28, 2026

OCHEFA

22 Views

STAFF of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) have resumed work following a court order directing the suspension of the strikes action.

Consequently, the main gate of the FCTA Secretariat showed workers arriving and proceeding to their various offices, signalling compliance with the court directive.

Our correspondent observed a steady flow of staff across departments, pointing to a gradual return to normal operations within the FCTA and FCDA.

Schools across the Federal Capital Territory have also reopened, bringing relief to residents and raising hopes that ongoing engagements between government and labour unions will remain peaceful and constructive.

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UK begins Alison-Madueke’s trial on bribery charges

Alison-Madueke sat in the dock alongside oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who is charged with one count of bribery relating to Alison-Madueke and a separate count of bribery of a foreign public official.

Published

2 days ago

January 27, 2026

OCHEFA

22 Views

The alleged corruption trial of the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke commenced on Tuesday at the London’s Southwark Crown Court.

British prosecutors told the court that Alison-Madueke took bribes including luxury goods and the use of high-end properties from industry figures interested in lucrative oil and gas contracts, when she was minister for petroleum resources between 2010 and 2015 under then-president Goodluck Jonathan and was also briefly president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the first woman to hold either role.

According to Reuters, the 65-year-old is now one of the most high-profile former energy officials to stand trial for alleged corruption, having been charged in 2023 with five counts of accepting bribes and a charge of conspiracy to commit bribery, which she denies.

Prosecutor Alexandra Healy told jurors at London’s Southwark Crown Court that Alison-Madueke “enjoyed a life of luxury in London”, where she often stayed, provided by those interested in being awarded or retaining contracts with Nigerian state-owned companies.

Healy said Alison-Madueke was given the use of high-end properties and vast quantities of luxury goods by people who “clearly believed she would use her influence to favour them”.

There was no evidence that Alison-Madueke awarded contracts to someone who should not have had one, Healy said.

But given Alison-Madueke’s role “she should not have accepted benefits from those who were no doubt doing extremely lucrative business in oil and gas with government-owned entities”, Healy added.